Lee anglers cited for violating catch limits, no-catch laws

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Five Lee County residents could face heavy fines and possibly jail time for being too successful at sea.

Officials from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission cited five anglers last weekend for exceeding their catch limit on grouper and violating the "no catch" laws in place regarding red snapper, said FWC spokeswoman Joanne Adams.

Corey Hickson, 36, 1324 Sixth Ave., Cape Coral; Stephen Grimes, 41, 401 Donora Blvd., Fort Myers Beach; Sean McQuade, 36, 1829 SW 49th Lane; Cape Coral, Mark Wicker 40, 211 Sterling Ave., Fort Myers Beach; and Rhonda Wicker, 40, 211 Sterling Ave., Fort Myers Beach, were cited just after midnight on Saturday as they returned to the Carl Johnson Boat Ramp at Lovers Key State Park.

The boat was stopped during routine patrols at the dock, Adams said. The men told investigators they had been fishing about 100 miles southwest of Estero Island, near the Florida Keys.

The crew was aboard a 36-foot recreational fishing boat named "Digestible." On board they had 59 gag grouper and 21 red snapper. FWC catch limits for gag grouper in the Gulf of Mexico are five per fisherman. Red snapper is not allowed to be fished at all from November to April.

Fishing laws are clearly marked, and anyone with a license is familiar with the laws and how they change season to season, Adams said. It's not a matter of not knowing the fishing laws, Adams added. The sophisticated equipment on board the Digestible and the amount of fish caught leads officials to believe the fishermen knew exactly what they were doing.

The illegal catch totaled 440 pounds of fish. FWC officers seized the catch, and donated it to the Octagon Wildlife Sanctuary in Charlotte County.

Due to the size of the catch, officers believe the men may have attempted to sell the fish to local fish houses or distributors, Adams said.

All the anglers had different accounts as to why they had so many fish, Adams said.

The illegal sale of fish is fairly common, said Rich Santorico, owner of Merrick's Seafood South Inc., in Cape Coral.

Recreational fishermen with large catches will often attempt to turn a small profit, through "backdoor sales," Santorico said.

"It's done all the time, but I won't work with sellers who aren't licensed," Santorico said.

Grouper, the most popular fish in fish houses, is an especially profitable fish to sell. Santorico estimates he'd buy a 440-pound shipment of grouper for $762 from a distributor. The price is calculated estimating that 45 percent of the fish weight is usable.

When sold on the market to restaurants for regular customers, the price of grouper can more than triple. In the supermarket 440 pounds of grouper can go for more than $2,500.

Restrictions are placed on fish to help ease over-fishing, Adams said. For people who make a living on selling fish, like Santorico does, seeing the over-fishing of species can be upsetting.

"I care about how these waters are fished, and what's coming out of it, because it's got to last a long time," Santorico said.

All of the charges are second-degree misdemeanors punishable by up to 60 days in jail or a $500 fine. The defendants are scheduled to appear in court Dec. 29.

For more information on saltwater fishing and recreational bag limits are available at www.myfwc.com.