ECOs in the New York City area conducted a series of fishing compliance checks focused on striped bass over the last several weeks.
- On March 16, ECOs uniformed and undercover conducted overnight patrols near known angling hot spots for out-of-season striped bass in Queens County. Striped bass season in the New York City area opens on April 15, and anglers who catch the fish before that date must release them. During the ECOs’ patrol, at approximately 2:15 a.m., an angler reeled in a pair of striped bass, unaware he was fishing next to an undercover Officer. The undercover Officer called in ECOs Ableson and Keegan who ticketed the angler for possession of out-of-season striped bass, returnable to Queens Criminal Court.
- On March 24, ECOs Farner, Kortz, and Traynor observed multiple anglers fishing at Rodman’s Neck in the Bronx. The Officers seized 25 striped bass during the evening and issued three tickets to anglers for taking or possessing out-of-season striped bass.
- On March 29, ECOs Swart and Ableson conducted an enforcement detail in Pelham Park in the Bronx and encountered a group of anglers fileting a striped bass. The Officers confiscated the fish and issued tickets for taking and failing to release the striped bass. ECOs advised the anglers that they could continue fishing but had to release any striped bass. The Officers left the area and went to another location to observe the group. Before long, the anglers continued to catch and keep striped bass, now concealing them in the rocks about 20 yards from their fishing location. The ECOs returned and ticketed the anglers again, returnable to Bronx Criminal Court where they face more than $2,500 in fines.
- On March 29-30, ECOs Currey and Traynor conducted patrols near the Throgs Neck Bridge in Bronx County as part of a striped bass enforcement detail. The Officers issued 16 tickets for striped bass-related charges and seized 25 illegally possessed fish.
