From the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife:
There was a known tautog poaching problem in the area of Absecon Inlet. When DFW conservation officers Harp and Nicklow arrived there on a weekend this past October, they found approximately 80 people tautog fishing on the various finger jetties. With a one fish per person bag limit in effect and the abundance of tautog being too short to keep, the officers began conducting surveillance. They noticed a group exhibiting abnormal behavior and observed individuals transporting a few undersize fish to a vehicle. The officers inspected the vehicle and found 62 tautog, all below the 15-inch minimum length.
In addition to the undersize tautog violations, the owner of the vehicle was charged with possession of 61 tautog over his daily limit. The defendant settled the case last week with an assessed fine of $2000.
If you observe a violation report it to the 24/7 DEP Action Line at 877-WARN-DEP
should be 100$ a fish
Agreed, $2000 for 61 fish is a total joke.
I’m a boat owner and pay my launch fee’s bait and fuel and have been out many times and came home with nothing. If 61 fish cost $2000 to keep it may be worth it to keep two or three
$2,500 fine plus $200 per fish WE need to punish the buyers because as long as there’s a market the poaching won’t stop
I think the fine is fair if it is a first offence, subsequent offences should be $100 per fish, loss of fishing license for at least one year.
Loss of fishing license for one year??? How about life!!!
Jersey doesn’t require a license for salt water (yet).
First offence my A**! Ill gaurentee you this isn’t his first experience taking illegal fish and over limits! This is the first time he has been caught! $2000 is a joke!! When will the judicial system start take fish and game offences seriously. What a shame….
Poachers are not effected by a loss of license. $2000 seems fair for a first offense to me. After that $100 a fish plus a finger would work for me!
I think the fine is a joke. He should have been fined a minimum of $5,000 and they should have confiscated his truck, and everything that was on it.
a bit harsh take his first born also?
Should have taken truck and all tackle it should have been a $200 find per fish if he did once you can count on it he did it before
how about some community service. clean up beaches and fishing spots
Should confiscate all tackle and the vehicle too. Sell at auction and use funds to train and hire more co’s.
I year in JaiL
There need to be a deterrent
F*** them how many fish did they get away when they sell them to the Asians for $20 a piece his last trip will cover the fine with no problem
Why does it have to be Asians? Is there a written code somewhere stating that only asians buy poached fish? Is the white, black, or brown man too holy to do this act? Don’t be prejudice it’s not just asians.
Happened up here too on Cape. Was going to Asian restaurant… Also, was w/a guy up here that said he liked to miscount (constantly fileting and bagging to hide fish…) … he was, Asian and owned 2 restaurants.
Sometimes generalities are not necessarily racism or prejudice.
One personal example is not sufficient for a blanket public generality. In my personal experience it has been more young Caucasian males doing this, but I wouldn’t say it’s the white hooligans doing this. It’s the type of people that do not know or do not care, but I would not generalize that to an ethnicity.
I think they should have a simple multiple choice test that you have to take every year you buy a fishing license online to test you on the size requirements and number of fish allowed to keep. This way it is inexcusable to not know the limits of keeping fish. Then make the penalty 2 hundred bucks a fish for first time offender so they get a slap on the wrist and learn from their mistake. Then the people who keep 62 short tautog get slammed because they should know better. Theres a difference between a kid accidentally killing a schoolie and not wanting to toss it and a grown man keeping dozens even hundreds of illegal fish (most likely knowingly).
Should of through in thirty days.
Cut his fcuking hand off
For stealing
They should take the vehicle seize all the equipment . make them do a hundred hour community service of cleaning the beaches pull there license if they have one for life and fine them 100.00 per fish and 100.00per inch they are short on lentgh
That’s a great system. $100/inch they are short works much better than $100 fine for all short fish. Just like speeding there are categories (1-5, 6-15, 16-30, 30+) There should be a higher fine for those that keep shorter fish.
They should be fined heavily and make them do community service with a place that protect animals or a conservation place …. These people knew what they were doing illegal things and not an honest mistake of not knowing regulations.
That fine is a joke. That will not serve as a deterrent. Fishing gear, hunting gear, boats, guns etc. should be confiscated, that will make people pay attention. One or two fish over the limit, maybe a mistake, but when the limit is 1 fish over 15″ and they have 60 fish, all under 15″, bust their ass good!
I like Frank’s idea of adding community service on top of the fine.
It’s a fish man! I’m sure all you never broke any fishing rule yourselves. Fine was more than enough
I’m with taking the truck and tackle as well. Only to be returned after the fine is paid in full. Sticking his picture on the local paper would also be good. A little public shame works nicely
These are the people who are depleting our resources in the oceans. Let’s try to preserve the ocean instead of destroying it.
The jetties that are mentioned have always been a problem. I personally witnessed the same activities going on and watched Fish and Game arrest individuals, the laws are plain and simple. Should be 75 dollars per fish 1 year loss of license 1st offense. 200 dollars per fish , loss of license for life and forfeit of vehicle. Third offense deportation.
Deportation to where? They’re white Americans
Fine is not adequate these guys are selling the fish to the live market and know they will get busted sooner or later. Profit and loss a new guy will drive a different car tomm and the crime continues. 60 something fish my god that’s a lot of intent. They knew they were poaching did not care heavy fines and take away all gear. Better yet find out where these fish were going and shot down the buyers that finance the mess.
I meant shut down the buyers
I agree w/ everyone re:that the punishment was too light! Besides confiscating truck & equipment and selling it,he really needed serious beach clean-up time for at least a couple of YEARS! Taking away his license to fish won’t stop him, but having to buy new gear will slow him down & knowing that most of his fishing time would’ve been spent on beach cleaning detail instead really should have occurred!
they know the law you play you pay
Pay to play. That’s the problem. They absorb these fines as the cost of doing business. 1 or 2 shorts. First offense. I can understand leniency. 10+ fish have to deter with stiffer penalties.
1st offense : $100 per fish plus a one year ban on keeping any legal salt water fish .
2nd offense : $200 per fish , 30 days in jail,
Two year ban on keeping any legal saltwater fish
3rd offense : $300 per fish , 6 months in jail and lifetime banishment from keeping any saltwater species .
It coast the taxpayer more than the $ 2,000 from the DEP notice of surveillance , officers pay, transportation, legal investigation & documentation , process of paperwork , ONE DEFENDANT was held accountable ? LMAO
Coming from every single one of you who keep a couple of short fluke to cut the bellies out of for bait!
It’s hilarious that you think that everybody does this…
It seems the consensus is that the punishment doesn’t fit the crime and seems to lenient and I agree. They were caught with 62 this time, how many illegal fish have they taken before? 1000? 5000? There needs to be a stronger deterrent for conservation to work effectively.
Hey I’m just happy a law has actually been enforced. Poaching is rampant, we all know it. I just wish there were more officials to monitor it. Also, can we stop leaving our garbage all over the place too? How bout a little respect for our resources and recreational areas. The jetties and bridges in the area are shameful.
Take his truck for poaching tautog, that is the most outrageous thing i’ve ever heard. I hope you people are kidding. The fine is good and on top of that maybe they should make him eat a few of the fish raw and whole. But i don’t think he should be taken to jail for this
Taking his truck for poaching tautog, that’s the most outrageous thing i’ve ever heard. Obviously he deserves to be fined and have his fishing equipment taken but not his truck. I think they also should have forced him to eat all the fish he poached raw and whole
Maybe his truck is a piece of s*** and taking it would be a favor…..
Poachers screw everyone with their gluttony. The $2,000 fine is too low and it should be doubled. The offense isn’t for a simple one over the limit! Confiscation of the vehicle(s) is appropriate but an alternative should be available to the offender; e.g. instead of confiscation, the poacher would provide 200 hours of supervised community service. The punishment is harsh because the vast majority of offenders go unpunished. Harsh punishments are unfortunately necessary to deter stealing from our natural resources.
We have few details here but taking what might be the guy’s only vehicle sounds like too much. Maybe his kids need rides to school; maybe he has a real job and only a car will get him there. Keeping shorts, even for cash, doesn’t justify possibly screwing the guy’s whole life up. If you’re selling shorts for part or all of your living you probably don’t have many other options.
This had to be a knowing poacher with a buyer. The story says he “settled” for 2k, which might mean he gave up some names in cooperation. If that’s good enforcement practice with drug dealers and bank robbers, gotta think it makes sense here. Community service always sounds good to me. Unless the fine is huge, which it shouldn’t be here, things like jail and confiscations of people’s rides tend to screw over their families and ultimately cost the state more.
Why is it Legl for Comercial Fisherman to Keep Sell Kill all undersized Fish?? We see it All over the Markets!!! DFW target those!! Not just Single Anglers ! Yes. Poaching is illegal. For Who ???
Wow 62 Blackfish where is this place?? I am sure if u can catch 62 shorts u can Def. catch 15-20 Blackfish that are Legal size. Just nring alot of friends with you…..:)…..
It’s just a fish… Fine is just enough for me… There iare worse law breaker out there…
Man I had seen them vietnam people taking 4 inches of tautog fish from the Barnegat lighthouse jetties we need more game board there to catch them people so the next generation can have fun fishing .
2,000. Is not enough, these guys knew exactly what they were doing. I think 50.00 a fish, also community service of 100 hours cleaning beaches. The fines are not enough so most of these poachers just do it again. First time doesn’t make a difference. It’s the first time he was caught!!!
If the fish are near 15″, figure around 3lbs each. Comes out to about 180 pounds, or an $11 / pound fine. This is about the same as buying the fish at the store.
1 fish ova the limit =$100
2-5 fish ova the limit =$150 per fish
6 plus fish ova the limit =$200 per fish
10 r more =straight to jail, auction your Sh*t! Donate the proceeds to DNR.
Iffin that had been a charter Captain, he’s not gonna LOSE his livelihood, letting you catch unregulated fish.
I’ve seen on Longport Bridge several times and called fish and game on my cell.
I talked to the wardens and they tell me that it’s just about all illegals. They pay their bail and dissappear forever.
I love tog and because of these clowns it’s not worth traveling 80 miles for one fish.
I say crucify them!
DFW conservation officers Harp and Nicklow – THANK YOU
Consider joining the Coastal Conservation Association if you want a voice at the policy level.
Want to stop illegal fishing? Why not impound vehicles or boats and keep them until the case is adjudicated– you’ll see how fast it stops. The fines are joke and there shouldn’t be plea bargaining to reduce the applicable fines.
The court got their stipend, It’s all political kabuki. They don’t give one rats ass about conservation. The legal Recreational anglers do and they get screwed the most.
I blame it all on Obama!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks Obummer