FWC Law Enforcement Report

September 7, 2019

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following activity during the period ending August 15 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Officer Specialist McHenry conducted a resource inspection on an individual fishing at the Fort Pickens Fishing Pier. He was found in possession of 40 Spanish mackerel, 32 of which were undersized. The individual claimed two of his children helped catch the fish. Officer Specialist McHenry seized the illegal fish and cited the individual.

Officer Allgood was patrolling near the Navy Point Boat Ramp when he noticed a vessel returning to the ramp without the proper navigational lights. After the individual loaded his vessel on his trailer and pulled it into the parking lot, Officer Allgood approached him. The person showed several signs of impairment and field sobriety tasks were conducted. The subject was arrested for driving under the influence, failure to give a breath sample and other misdemeanor charges.

Officer McHenry was getting into his truck at a Pensacola marina when he noticed two individuals posing for pictures with a red drum. They were standing next to a small fishing pier and were also holding spear fishing equipment. Officer McHenry approached the individuals and spoke to them about the red drum. They denied spearing anything, they had wrapped the fish in a towel and placed it in a vehicle when they noticed Officer McHenry. Officer McHenry explained what he had witnessed and they admitted spearing the fish. The fish was over the legal-size limit. One of the individuals was cited for harvesting red drum by illegal methods.

Officer Allgood and Lieutenant Lambert were checking subjects as they returned to Galvez landing. They saw a charter boat returning to the ramp without the proper navigational lights. After discussing the lighting violation, a fisheries inspection revealed several fillets of vermillion snapper. Citations were issued for the violations.

Officers Allgood and Long stopped a vessel to perform a fisheries inspection. They found the two occupants in possession of six red snapper. Citations were issued accordingly.

Officers Allgood and Long were on patrol in the Big Lagoon area when they heard several people on a vessel yelling. They approached the vessel and spoke to the operator. The operator showed several signs of being impaired. Field sobriety tasks confirmed the operator was impaired and he was arrested for BUI. The operator was transported to the Escambia County Jail where he refused to give a breath sample.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer Mullins received information that a subject was in possession of a gopher tortoise. The officer located the subject and discovered he had two gopher tortoises in an enclosure at his residence. The subject had the tortoises for some time and had been caring for them as pets. Officer Mullins issued a notice to appear for possession of a threatened and endangered species and the gopher tortoises were returned to the wild.

This report represents some events the FWC handled during the time period; however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement. Information provided by FWC.

NorthEscambia.com photo.

Comments

5 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report”

  1. Duke of Wawbeek on September 12th, 2019 11:37 pm

    I know little of size and species regulations.

    My rational is that if it is big enough to eat, it is big enough to keep.

  2. 429SCJ on September 8th, 2019 9:58 am

    I had a pet gopher back in 1970. The gopher lived in a burrow down in the lower back yard. The gopher departed sometime after I entered military service. I find it amazing that it’s burrow is still intact, after nearly fifty years

    Please try and avoid running over gophers or any other creature that has to cross our roads and highways.

  3. Enrique on September 7th, 2019 3:49 pm

    And the gopher tortoises are now dead of starvation.

    The needed to be kept in captivity at that point. Is their a zoologist on the law enforcement team? There should be.

  4. Keith Rajotte on September 7th, 2019 12:05 pm

    I once would have given people a break on fishing mishaps but taking ilegal fish now is just a crime we all have smart ohnes we can look up the fish size season and rules

  5. ensley boy on September 7th, 2019 8:12 am

    Since the subject had the tortoises for some time as pets, will they survive if returned to the wild?