Fishermen With Illegal Take Have Option Of Fines Or Education

On January 2nd, rangers stopped a boat in Hurricane Creek for fishing violations. The fishermen had 49 mangrove snappers on board, a total that was 29 over the bag limit. Moreover, only eight of the fish were longer than the legal size limit of ten inches. Multiple citations were issued to the fishermen, including a $1,575 citation for the bag limit violation and a $2,125 citation for the undersized fish. Through an agreement with the Department of Justice, rangers can offer a fisheries education course as an alternative to paying a fine or appearing in court. The four-hour course, developed by the park’s resource management staff, is designed to educate anglers on fishing regulations and responsible fishing techniques.  To date, more than 93 people have participated in this course and no course participants have become repeat offenders. The captain of the boat will also have the option of taking the class as an alternative for the bag limit violation, but will have to pay or appear in court for the undersize fish violation.