FWC Law Enforcement Report: Boating And Fishing Violations

June 30, 2022

The Florida FWC Division of Law Enforcement reported the following recent activity:

ESCAMBIA COUNTY

Over Memorial Day Weekend, officers in Escambia County arrested three subjects for Boating Under the Influence (BUI), assisted in the successful search and rescue of two individuals who were swept down the Perdido River while they attempted to cross it, responded to a vessel crash involving two new PWC’s that were totaled and documented multiple boating safety violations.

Officer Specialist Allgood and Officer Burkhead were at Big Lagoon State Park boat ramp when they observed a vessel violating the idle speed zone. The officers conducted a vessel stop to address the violation. While speaking with the operator of the vessel, Officer Allgood noticed several signs of impairment. He conducted Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) and the operator was arrested for Boating Under the Influence (BUI). He was transported to the Escambia County Jail.

Officers Allgood and Burkhead were in Perdido River Wildlife Management Area (WMA) when they noticed a parked car with its doors open. They approached the car and noticed the driver had an open beer and a cannabis cigarette in plain sight. After a short interview, it was discovered that the driver was in possession of marijuana and several items of drug paraphernalia including a scale and hallucinogenic mushrooms. The driver was arrested for the violations and transported to the Escambia County Jail.

Officers McHenry and Pettey followed up on a derelict vessel investigation. They identified the owner, who has been previously cited for two other derelict vessels. The owner was cited for allowing the additional vessel to become derelict and was given his rights packet. He was also cited for an expired registration.

Officers worked a detail concentrating on boating safety in Bayou Chico. Multiple violations were documented including inoperable navigation lights, expired registrations, failure to transfer vessel titles, and interfering with navigation. Inspections were also made on several vessels’ marine sanitation devices.

In conjunction with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) Station Pensacola, Officer Lugg performed a coordinated offshore patrol with a focus on marine fisheries violations. There were numerous violations located throughout the patrol including snapper, amberjack, and grouper violations. Numerous boating safety issues were found, and all operators were educated, and violations addressed through the USCG Boarding Team. All violations were dealt with accordingly.

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

Officer’s Bower and Corbin were on patrol at Shoreline Park boat ramp when they observed a fishing vessel return to the dock. The vessel was removed from the water and a boating safety and resource inspection was conducted. The vessel had lionfish, Spanish mackerel, and a greater amberjack on board. The fish were measured, and the greater amberjack was undersized. The captain and owner of the vessel was issued a notice to appear citation for the violation.

Officers Bower and Corbin were on water patrol at Shoreline Park boat ramp when they observed a vessel returning to the dock without its navigational lights on. A vessel stop was conducted to address the violation and to conduct a boating safety inspection. The operator of the vessel was unable to provide a type IV throwable device, registration certificate, and the registration was not displayed on the vessel. Throughout the inspection the operator was assisted by the passenger in locating the items requested, was unable to provide items, would show items not requested, could not stay focused on one task, was unable to complete his sentences, and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. The operator agreed to conduct Standard Field Sobriety Tasks (SFST) and was placed under arrest for Boating Under the Influence (BUI). The operator was also issued citations and warnings for the boating safety violations.

Officers Matechik, Oliver, and Corbin were on water patrol at the Brooks Bridge in the Santa Rosa Sound when they observed a vessel being operated on full plane through the slow speed/minimum wake zone. A vessel stop was conducted to address the violation and to conduct a boating safety inspection. During the stop the officers discovered the vessel had been rented and the occupants were not provided a type IV throwable device, a fire extinguisher, or a sound producing device. The officers met the owner of the vessel at a local boat ramp and completed a livery inspection. The owner has never taken a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Livery course, did not have the required boating safety signage, did not properly go over the area or how to operate the vessel, and did not provide the required boating safety equipment. The owner was issued a notice to appear citation for several livery violations.

Officers Mullins and Corbin were on patrol when they observed a vessel anchored on state waters with an expired registration of 2019. Two subjects were seen on board and a vessel stop was conducted to perform a safety inspection. The subjects stated they were living on the vessel and had purchased it a few months ago but had not transferred the title into their name. The owner was issued a notice to appear citation for failure to transfer title within 30 days and issued warnings for boating safety.

Officer’s Mullins and Corbin were on patrol and observed a vessel at a local boat ramp on the river. A vessel stop was conducted to perform a resource inspection and during the inspection items were located that are commonly used for bush hooks. Also, on board the vessel were approximately 20 small bream. The owner of the vessel admitted to setting bush hooks and was waiting to check them and was issued a notice to appear citation for untagged bush hooks and possession of freshwater fish taken by illegal devices. Officers Bower, Mullins, and Corbin later launched a patrol vessel and located approximately 20 bush hooks, matching the same equipment on the vessel they had stopped earlier, with four of the bush hooks still baited with bream. None of the bush hooks were tagged and an additional charge of using game fish as bait on bush hooks was added to the case.

Comments

6 Responses to “FWC Law Enforcement Report: Boating And Fishing Violations”

  1. Don Neese on July 1st, 2022 3:49 pm

    I understand the frustration at so many confusing laws and seasons…but when I was born (here in P’cola) there were just over 100,000 people in the area. Now, it’s pushing four times that. Without these officers and our laws, people would find a way to wipe out everything. We shrimped when I was a boy and can remember some foreign immigrants with nets stretched (what seems like) all the way across the bay. Laws had to be passed on net fishing. They had wiped the mullet out.

  2. Bill T on June 30th, 2022 11:42 pm

    I know the rules are the rules and the judge will tell you ignorance of the law is no excuse!!!! Fishing has pretty much been regulated out !!! You almost can’t go fishing without breaking a law SO I quit fishing !!!!

  3. Denny on June 30th, 2022 7:55 pm

    DLo, yeah, funny how different states have different rules. Contact your state representative about it.

    Fence Jumper, not sure how that would work. Maybe the LEOs should tell the boater with a lesser infraction that they can’t be cited because a drunk boater MAY be caught later??? Believe me, any LEO writing a minor infraction will drop it in a hot minute if they see anyone operating a boat (or vehicle) erratically or unsafely.

  4. American on June 30th, 2022 11:45 am

    Such heroes. The fish have a good bunch protecring them from

  5. Fence Jumper on June 30th, 2022 10:30 am

    @DLo. I 100% agree with you. The time waisted screwing with people using bream for bait on bush hooks instead of a rod and reel could be used for catching drunk boaters. That would be a better use of time.

  6. DLo on June 30th, 2022 8:42 am

    Do you know how silly it is that on one side of perdido River it’s a crime to set a bush hook with a bream and on the other it’s perfectly fine. But it’s fine to use them as bait on a rod and reel on both sides, it’s a stupid, arbitrary rule.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News