FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Reports: Sept. 13-19

September 13, 2024, through September 19, 2024 This report represents some events the FWC handled over specified weeks;  however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. View this as a web page. View previous editions.

CASES Franklin County Officer Hartzog observed a commercial angler throwing a cast net along the water’s edge at night on East Bay. Officer Hartzog observed him harvest a large quantity of wild shrimp in the prohibited area of all waters north of the John Gorrie Bridge. The next evening Officer Hartzog and L. Mcleod returned to the location and observed the same subject from the night before along with another subject throwing cast nets from a vessel. The officers conducted surveillance and observed them harvest more shrimp from the prohibited area. As the commercial anglers headed back to the boat ramp, they came under power and operated without navigational lights. Officers Hartzog and Mcleod initiated a vessel stop but the commercial anglers failed to stop. As the officers came alongside the vessel one of the subjects discarded the contents from a large bucket on board. The officers gave loud verbal commands for the subjects to stop the vessel, and they complied. Officers Hartzog and Mcleod conducted a resource and boating safety inspection. The subjects admitted the contents of the bucket were wild shrimp. Officer Hartzog advised the subjects he observed one of them harvest several buckets of wild shrimp the night before and they admitted to doing so. The violations of interference of an FWC officer and harvest of wild shrimp from a prohibited area were cited accordingly. Officer Hartzog was conducting a night patrol on East Bay and observed two individuals throwing cast nets along the water’s edge. Officer Hartzog conducted surveillance on the individuals and observed them harvesting wild shrimp from the prohibited area of all waters north of the John Gorrie Bridge. The officer conducted a resource inspection on the individuals catch and observed the individuals to be in possession of a bucket containing wild shrimp. The violation was cited accordingly.  Officers Forbes, Hartzog, and T. Nelson were patrolling on Apalachicola Bay and observed a vessel returning from offshore displaying fishing gear. The officers stopped the vessel to conduct a resource inspection. The inspection revealed the subjects possessed multiple undersized and out-of-season red grouper. The violations were cited accordingly.  Officers T. Nelson, Hartzog, and Forbes were patrolling on Apalachicola Bay and observed a vessel under power displaying fishing gear. The officers conducted a resource inspection that revealed the subjects possessed undersized red drum and over his daily bag limit. The violations were cited accordingly.  Officers Hartzog, T. Nelson, and Forbes were patrolling on Apalachicola Bay and observed a vessel returning from offshore displaying fishing gear. The officers conducted a resource inspection that revealed the subjects possessed undersized cobia. The violation was cited accordingly.

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