FWC Division of Law Enforcement Weekly Highlights For Cases In Brevard County

FWC OFFICERS NAIL FISH POACHERS, issue federal citation for red snapper violations

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – The following report highlights some cases the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission handled in Brevard County over the past week but does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

■ Officer St. Martin was on night patrol at Sebastian Inlet State Park and noticed an angler who was in a hurry to return to his vehicle. A resource inspection of the subject’s gear revealed he was in possession of an over slot snook. The subject was cited accordingly.

■ While on water patrol in the Indian River, Officer Specialist Marroquin noticed a personal watercraft violating the slow speed manatee zone. After stopping the vessel, Officer Marroquin noticed the operator showed signs of impairment. The operator performed the standardized field sobriety tasks poorly and was arrested. The operator provided a sample of his breath, which showed his breath alcohol content was almost double the legal limit. The operator was transported to the Brevard County jail and charged accordingly.

■ Officer Specialist Balgo observed an individual fishing in Port Canaveral and conducted a resource inspection. During the inspection, he located a goliath grouper hidden under the individual’s cast net. Officer Balgo also found the individual to be in possession of an undersized mangrove snapper. The individual was cited accordingly.

■ While on land patrol, Officer Specialist Rasey contacted several individuals who were saltwater fishing at a local park. One of the subjects advised he caught several sand trout, which is an unregulated species. A resource inspection revealed the angler had misidentified some of the fish, which were actually spotted seatrout. Size and bag limit violations were addressed with a citation and a warning.

■ Officer Specialist Hallsten responded to a call for service in reference to a subject discharging a 12-gauge shotgun within a residential area. He arrived on scene and found that the subject at the residence was shooting Anhingas out of the pond in the backyard. The subject was charged with discharge of a firearm in a residential area and take of migratory bird listed in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

■ Officer Specialist Balgo observed an individual throwing a large cast net along Haulover Canal. While conducting a resource inspection, he found the individual to be in possession of five undersized sheepshead and three undersized mangrove snapper. The individual also illegally harvested the mangrove snapper with a cast net. The individual was cited accordingly.

■ Officer Specialist Balgo observed an individual walking back to his vehicle, and when the individual saw the officer, he ran back away from his vehicle onto a trail. Officer Balgo located the individual as well as another individual off the trail in the bushes. He then located a bucket hidden in the nearby bushes that contained 12 undersized mangrove snappers. The individuals were cited accordingly.

■ Officer Hopkins conducted patrol of Sebastian Inlet State Park and noticed an individual hurrying back to his vehicle with a snook that appeared to be over slot. Upon investigation, the individual changed his story multiple times. The snook measured over the legal slot and the individual was cited accordingly.

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