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

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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.

■ Officers Beck, St. Martin and Ross responded to information regarding commercial shrimp trawlers that were trawling at night in state waters, which is a violation of Florida law. Officer Beck then contacted Officers St. Martin and Ross for assistance. While patrolling at night, the officers observed a large shrimp trawler working close to shore with its nets deployed. Once the officers verified the vessel was trawling, they stopped it to conduct a resource inspection. Officers St. Martin and Ross boarded the vessel and documented the nets in the water. A further inspection revealed the crew was keeping oversized snook that were caught in their shrimp nets. The captain and crew were cited accordingly.

■ Officer St. Martin responded to information regarding a subject possessing an undersized snook at Sebastian Inlet State Park. Officer St. Martin located the subject and conducted a resource inspection. Initially, the subject admitted to catching snook but stated he released them. Further inspection of the subject’s cooler revealed he was still in possession of one undersized snook. The subject was cited accordingly.

■ Officer St. Martin was on patrol at Sebastian Inlet State Park when he observed several people cast netting along the mangroves. Officer St. Martin waited for the subjects to return to the parking lot. Once they did, he observed them quickly return to their vehicle and place their coolers and equipment in the back of it. At this time, Officer St. Martin contacted the subjects to conduct a resource inspection. The subjects told Officer St. Martin they only went for a swim. However, an inspection of the coolers they had just placed in their vehicle revealed an undersized stone crab in whole condition. The subjects were cited accordingly.

■ Officer St. Martin observed anglers harvesting snook from a concealed location while patrolling at Sebastian Inlet State Park. As the subjects were leaving the north jetty, Officer St. Martin stopped them to conduct a resource inspection. The inspection revealed one of them was in possession of an undersized snook, and the subject was cited accordingly.

■ Lieutenant Lightsey responded to information that a group was shooting a firearm from an airboat. He located the airboat and conducted a resource inspection. The subjects were found to be in possession of one alligator. After investigating and speaking with the subjects, one of them admitted to shooting the alligator with a pistol and knowing that it was not legal to do so. A notice to appear was issued for take of alligator by illegal method.

■  Officer St. Martin observed several people fishing from a vessel at Sebastian Inlet State Park. From a concealed location, the officer witnessed one of them catch a snook, take a photo with it, and then put it in a cooler. Officer St. Martin then witnessed the same subject catch a second snook, take a photo with it, and put it in the same cooler. This second snook placed the subject over his daily bag limit of snook. The officer contacted the subject to conduct a resource inspection when the vessel returned to the boat ramp. Initially, the other subjects on the vessel took credit for the other snook, but after a brief interview, the individual who caught both snooks confessed. The subject was cited accordingly.

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