Florida Fish And Wildlife: 44 Illegal Spiny Lobster Tails Taken By Suspect, Charged With Poaching
By Space Coast Daily // February 19, 2016
'J' Team uncovers hidden illegal catch
The “J” Team uncovers hidden illegal catch.
One could call them the “J Team” of Officers James Johnson, Jeremy Foell, Jamie Richards and Jose Lopez. Foell and Richards inspected a commercial fishing vessel they saw pulling traps while they were on patrol in the FWC Interceptor with Johnson.
During the resource inspection, officers discovered 44 wrung spiny lobster tails hidden behind hydraulic equipment on the fishing boat; 24 of the illegally wrung tails were undersized.
When they got to shore, Lopez interviewed a suspect who was then booked into a local jail for the numerous poaching violations.
Offshore vessels are responsible for patrolling Gulf and Atlantic waters out to 200 miles, and there’s no telling what they’ll find or be called to do.
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