FWC uses night vision goggles to bust gill netters

While you might think that breaking Florida fishing laws is easier under the cover of darkness – you have to remember that the cops have the cool toys. On the night of September 30th Fish and Wildlife Officers Travis Huckeba, John Allen, and Jason Carroll were on water patrol near Lanark Reef. They were using their night vision equipment, which let them see two fishermen using a gill net. When the officers attempted to stop the vessel one of the crewmen pushed the gill net overboard – which the officers were also able to see. After the two fishermen realized they had been watched with night vision goggles they admitted to that the net was theirs. Each is now facing various charges for violating Florida’s net ban including possession of a gill net, possession of a net with mesh size larger than two inch stretch, and transporting a gill net across state waters. The two could also face felony charges pending the measurement of the net’s square footage.

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