ECOs conducting fishing compliance checks on Long Island encountered quite a few anglers who disregarded State regulations related to the size of the fish caught.
- On July 22, ECO Cacciola received a complaint about a large group of people taking undersized crabs at Mascot Dock in Patchogue Bay, town of Islip. Officer Cacciola responded to the location and observed the group measuring crabs but not throwing any back into the water. Some members of the group eventually returned to their vehicle with a bucket and nets and took off before Officer Cacciola could stop them. DEC dispatch provided an address for the registered owner of the vehicle and ECO Cacciola conducted a compliance check at the residence 20 minutes away, arriving as the men unloaded their crab nets in the driveway. They were neatly sorting their catch, with legal crabs in the bucket and 47 undersized crabs in a red shopping bag. ECO Cacciola issued tickets to the driver of the vehicle for possession of undersized crabs, returnable to Suffolk County First District Court.
- On July 27, ECO Day conducted a fishing compliance check on a boat entering the Cedar Beach boat ramp in Mount Sinai, Suffolk County. Five anglers on board claimed the porgy they had caught measured, but ECO Day discovered several undersized fish inside a cooler on the boat. The Officer counted and measured 105 porgy and three black sea bass. Eighty of the porgy and all three black sea bass were shorter than legal size limits in New York. ECO Day ticketed the five anglers for possession of undersized porgy. Three subjects admitting to catching one sea bass each received tickets for possession of undersized black sea bass and one subject was ticketed for failing to possess a New York Marine Registry. All tickets are returnable to Suffolk County First District Court.
- On July 29, while driving along the Meadowbrook Parkway, ECO Pabes observed multiple people along Short Beach in Nassau County with flashlights. Officer Pabes requested assistance from ECO Hilton and observed the group quietly. Once Officer Hilton arrived at the location, both ECOs went to the beach and conducted compliance checks on nine people with multiple buckets and coolers filled mostly with Atlantic silverside baitfish. The Officers also located 21 winter flounder, five summer flounder, and two bluefish. All fish caught by the group were 11 inches or smaller, under the size limit. In addition, winter flounder season closed in May, summer flounder must measure at least 19 inches, and blue fish and flounder cannot be taken with a net without a food fish license. Furthermore, no member of the group possessed the required Marine Registry. The Officers issued tickets for possession of fish out of season, possession of undersized fish, taking fish by commercial means without a license, and no Marine Registry. All tickets are returnable to Nassau County First District Court and the fish were seized as evidence.
- On Aug. 5, ECOs received two complaints at nearly the same time about people taking undersized blue claw crabs at Blue Point dock in Suffolk County. Officers also received a video of one of the subjects and a description of the vehicle used to hide the crabs. ECO Cacciola, who was closest to the area, responded and watched the group from a distance until ECOs Paschke and Perkins arrived. The Officers discovered two vehicles with undersized crabs hidden inside and more crabs hidden inside buckets in nearby vegetation. Officers charged three individuals from three separate groups for possession of undersized blue claw crabs.
