From taking shellfish from uncertified waters to allegedly tossing illegal fish and other debris from a party boat, ECOs had their hands full in the past several weeks conducting statewide fishing compliance checks:
- On June 21, ECOs Cacciola and Perkins conducted late-night fishing compliance checks along the North Shore beaches in Smithtown, Suffolk County, focused on recreational saltwater fishing. The Officers checked several anglers well into the night and early the next morning and issued 11 tickets to several subjects for possessing undersized marine species. ECOs also confiscated one blue claw crab with eggs, 25 porgy, and two weakfish during the overnight patrol.
- On June 23, ECOs Bayne and Nolan observed four individuals crabbing in Jamaica Bay. The subjects discarded their catches and attempted to flee when the Officers approached but the ECOs stopped them, conducted an inspection, and discovered multiple undersized summer flounder, nine undersized blue claw crabs, and seven blue claw crabs with eggs. ECOs issued three tickets to two individuals returnable to Queens County Court.
A week later, on June 30, Officers Bayne and Nolan encountered three individuals harvesting crabs with eggs at Coney Island Creek Park in Brooklyn. The anglers possessed 66 blue claw crabs with eggs and Officers ticketed two subjects (one ticket each) for possession of crabs in spawn, returnable to Kings County Court. The ECOs then released all 66 live crabs back to the waters of New York State.
Egg-bearing crustacea, such as crabs and lobsters, are protected by New York Environmental Conservation Law to support the continued propagation of the species. For more information about New Yorks crab regulations, visit DEC’s website.
- On June 24, ECOs Barbera, Barrett, Farner, and Officer Lepre of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement conducted fishing compliance checks in New York Harbor and Jamaica Bay focused on anglers fishing from vessels. The Officers boarded a boat during the patrol and observed the captain in possession of 20 bluefish, 17 over the legal limit. They confiscated all 17 fish and issued a ticket to the captain for possessing over the limit of bluefish, returnable to New York County Court.
- On June 25, ECOs Dickson, Giarratana, and Griffin conducted a fishing compliance check on a commercial party charter vessel while patrolling the Atlantic Ocean near the Cholera Reef. The Officers observed dozens of dead sea bass floating next to the vessel along with cigarette butts and garbage that were tossed overboard as the Officers approached. The ECOs gathered the fish from the water and began inspecting coolers and compartments on the vessel, finding additional illegal fish and lobsters on board. The Officers retrieved 60 undersized black sea bass, three undersized fluke, and two illegal lobsters during their search. The Officers issued a total of 14 tickets, including citations for dumping upon signal to stop, possession of undersized sea bass and fluke, and illegal possession of lobsters since none of the anglers on board possessed either a recreational lobster permit or a commercial lobster permit as required by law in New York. All citations are returnable to Nassau First District Court.
- On June 30, ECOs Kaufherr and DeRose responded to reports of a small group taking shellfish from Sunken Meadow Creek in Suffolk County, an area uncertified and closed to shellfishing. Officer Kaufherr arrived first and observed a male subject digging in the creek bed during low tide while another subject stood on the opposite side of the creek. ECO DeRose arrived a short time later and joined the surveillance until the two subjects appeared to notice the Officers and began walking away from the creek in opposite directions. ECO Kaufherr detained the subject observed digging and Officer DeRose ran toward the mouth of the creek where he encountered two women he suspected were part of the group of anglers first reported. The Officers conducted fishing compliance checks on the three members of the party and recovered discarded rakes and plastic bags containing hard clams and oysters. The ECOs were unable to find the fourth male subject observed earlier. The Officers confiscated all the illegally caught shellfish, which included oysters, hard clams, and soft clams. They issued nine tickets for placing rakes in uncertified waters and unlawfully taking shellfish. All tickets are returnable to Suffolk County First District Court.
- On July 7, ECOs Francis, Griffin, and Ruffle partnered with the Nassau County Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard for a boat patrol on the Long Island Sound in Nassau County. The Officers checked boats and anglers for compliance with New York’s fishing regulations, navigation law, and overall boater safety.
ECOs inspected a vessel north of Glen Cove during the patrol and discovered an expired fire extinguisher, expired flares, and only four Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) for the five people on board. The Officers issued a ticket and warning to the boat captain, terminated the voyage, followed the vessel back to a nearby marina, and advised the captain they could take the boat back out if they brought another PFD on board.
In separate incidents that day, Officers ticketed anglers fishing from other vessels for possessing undersized porgy and fluke, including one angler who possessed more than 25 undersized porgy, with the smallest being 8.5 inches. Porgy must be at least 11 inches when fishing from a vessel.
- ECOs in DEC Region 4 recently completed another successful striped bass enforcement initiative that resulted in nearly 100 tickets. Now in its third year, the detail focused on anglers fishing from vessels and along the shorelines of the Hudson River during the months of April and May, peak times for striped bass activity. Officers checked hundreds of anglers and vessels on foot and by boat for compliance with New York’s recreational fishing regulations. They issued 98 tickets during the detail for violations including failure to possess a fishing license and marine registry and violations of navigation safety laws. ECOs addressed some of the more minor violations with written warnings and education, rather than enforcement, issuing more than 50 written warnings and nearly as many verbal warnings. Striped bass remain one of New York’s most popular sportfish and are strictly regulated due to the delicate health of the fishery and their spawning activity which typically occurs in the spring, as water temperatures rise. ECOs also assisted two vessels in distress during the detail, participated in one search for a missing kayaker, and encountered one incident involving a boater operating a vessel while intoxicated.
