Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrested seven individuals on Sept. 9 for multiple fishing violations in Choctawhatchee Bay, charging them with seven felonies and 21 misdemeanors.
- The charges relate to the possession, use and size of monofilament nets, as well as possession of illegally harvested fish. The group was reportedly observed using a monofilament net larger than Florida’s legal size of 500 square feet to harvest fish.
FWC officers responded to a report of several individuals deploying a monofilament net in the bay. Upon inspection, they discovered a 599-square-foot monofilament entangling net staked in the water with multiple fish caught.
“This is the second monofilament entangling net case in as many weeks; fish are running, and folks are not playing by the rules,” said Maj. Robby Creech, FWC Northwest Region Commander. “Fishing is not only a way of life around here, but also a livelihood. Poaching in this way causes a ripple effect on the resources and the community.”
Florida law prohibits the use of any net containing more than 500 square feet of mesh area for harvesting marine life in nearshore and inshore waters. Additionally, the use of gill nets and other entangling nets of any size is prohibited in all Florida waters.
