Gulf County fishermen charged for net ban violations

Two Gulf County men are facing charges of violating Florida’s net ban after they were arrested last week with an almost 8,000 square foot gill net on St. Joe Bay.

FWC officers made the arrests before daylight on November 23^rd.

Ashley David Haddock of Wewahitchka and Randall Lamar Moore of Port St. Joe now face numerous felony and misdemeanor charges for using a gill net which is a violation of Florida’s constitution.

Both Haddock and Moore are commercial fishermen and possess saltwater products licenses.

Along with the illegal net officers also found more than 600 pounds of illegally netted pompano, Spanish mackerel and sheepshead.

Officers used high-tech, night-vision equipment to watch the pair on the bay on Haddock’s 22-foot boat from late on Thanksgiving night to the time of arrest the next morning.

The two were booked into the Gulf County Jail.

They were released on $2,000 bond each on Nov. 24.

The fish were seized and sold to a Panama City seafood business.

The money will be held in escrow, pending the outcome of the case.

The FWC also seized the vessel and the gill net as evidence in the case.

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