3 Florida men arrested, 53 spiny lobsters confiscated in illegal catch: FWC
DAVIE, Fla. - Three Florida men were recently arrested in connection with an illegal catch where 53 spiny lobsters were confiscated, according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
What happened?
What we know:
On Sunday, Aug. 3, officials were conducting resource inspections at Indian Key Fill in the Florida Keys when they saw a man carrying a bucket with a spiny lobster.
They approached the man and his group to inspect their catch. With the group's consent, officers then searched their cars and found two coolers containing 53 spiny lobsters, two speared spiny lobsters, one whole stone crab, a stone crab claw and a speared, undersized mangrove snapper.
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The authorities then arrested the three Broward County men in Islamorada: 34-year-old Alfred Gregorio Gregorio, 28-year-old Marcos Hernandez Gregorio and 24-year-old Ovidio Sales Gregorio. They were taken to a local jail, and each was charged with 37 misdemeanors related to multiple spiny lobster and stone crab violations.
What they're saying:
"Our officers work closely with our local law enforcement partners in Monroe County to protect our natural resources," Monroe County Area Captain Adam Garrison said. "These regulations are in place to ensure those resources are available for many years to come."
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When is lobster and crab season?
Dig deeper:
Spiny lobster sport season closed at 11:59 p.m. on July 31. The regular spiny lobster season began on Aug. 6.
Stone crab season does not open until Oct. 15.
Additionally, it is illegal to harvest lobster using a speargun and to spearfish in the Upper Keys.
The Source: This story was written based on information shared by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).