two poachers arrested

[fishbklyn]

From The New York Times today, nytimes.com/dinersjournal:

Here is good news for those who loathe the men who spend their days dragging umbrella rigs through the coastal waters of the New York Bight, hauling striped bass and bluefish into their boats by the dozen, then selling them illegally to unscrupulous fishmongers and restaurants throughout the city. Here, too, is bad news for those who feel people ought to be able to take what they can get from the sea, then sell it at fair prices to those who might not otherwise be able to afford the fare.

Two men were arrested this week in Brooklyn, hauling almost 300 pounds of illegally caught striped bass up to their truck, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Enforcement officers observed the men fishing off Breezy Point, the westernmost edge of the Rockaways, and followed them back to a dock in Shell Bank Creek in the Gerritsen Beach neighborhood, the D.E.C. said. The poachers had 46 fish, 44 more than the legal recreational limit. Forty of the fish were “shorts” — smaller than the legal recreational size requirement of 28 inches.

[browndog]

That's one of the best reports I've seen this season.

[Northfork]

A very good report, indeed. I wonder what the penalty will be?

[Philster]

Great news, but not great newspaper work.

This is why I haven't bought the Times in a long time. There's no moral ambiguity when it comes to poaching. Why does every topic in the paper have to be framed in their stupid class-based view?

[Lov2Fish]

Thanks for passing that along! Hope they throw the book at those poachers!!!!

[ontherocks]

That is almost twice as many fish as I caught and released in over 100 hours of fishing this season. It's no wonder not many stripers are making it to Maine anymore.

[mctrout]

Philster, I think you might have missed the point a bit. I think the writer might have been saying (and sending a message) that the poachers try to cloak themselves in "for the people by the people", and what they are doing is to help the poor by selling them fish that would otherwise be much more expensive in a store. This is the poachers rationale much of the time.
We all know it is bullsh#t and they sell to the highest bidder to line their pockets while breaking the law, and at the same time avoid having to pay for permits and licenses and answer to the Fisheries service about their catches.
If breaking the law or not puts you in one "class" or another, than maybe I am wrong.

[Philster]

Brendan-

I see what you are saying: the author is calling out the BS arguments used against enforcement. I stand corrected.

In any case it's good news and I hope the penalty is stiff. I know a bunch of folks who fish the area have worked hard to get the laws enforced and I appreciate it.

[filmfly]

Hopefully these bozo's will not be back out there tomorrow.

Gee what do you think they could get for 300 lbs. of illegal fish on the black market, and what do you think the fine would be?

I would hope the funds from my saltwater fishing license had something to do with the DEC actually doing something about this!

[Albiemanmike]

Originally Posted by filmfly

Hopefully these bozo's will not be back out there tomorrow.

Gee what do you think they could get for 300 lbs. of illegal fish on the black market, and what do you think the fine would be?

I would hope the funds from my saltwater fishing license had something to do with the DEC actually doing something about this!

Enough obviously to make it worth the while or else I suppose they would be doing something else illegal. I hope they take all of the gear and boat and disallow them from purchasing any fishing licenses for a long time.

[tommat]

Not much is going to happen.. There has been poaching going on over there for as long as I can remember in broad day light, 1/2 mile off the beach and nothing ever happens. I watched the guys doing one day, jigging using hand lines. Every fish hooked hit the deck...It's a big network and everyone has there hand in it..