New York State Department of Environmental Conservation released a fishing enforcement report last month, revealing that a driver who ran a red light was found to be illegally possessing the invasive species “Chinese mitten crab” and was ultimately arrested, with the mitten crabs confiscated and destroyed.
On September 15th, a Brooklyn NYPD officer pulled over a driver for running a red light, and during a vehicle inspection, discovered 29 Chinese mitten crabs in the car. Chinese mitten crabs are a prohibited invasive species in New York State, and possessing, selling, buying, transporting, or importing them is illegal. The police immediately notified the Department of Environmental Conservation’s marine enforcement unit.
While Chinese mitten crabs are considered a delicacy in the Chinese community, in New York they are seen as a threat and their presence is unwelcome. In June of this year, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued a notice stating that Chinese mitten crabs had invaded the Hudson River and Long Island Sound in New York and urged the public to photograph, document the location, and report sightings.
Following the notification from Brooklyn police, two marine enforcement officers, Broughton and Rappold from the Department of Environmental Conservation, rushed to the local precinct, questioned the individual suspected of smuggling Chinese mitten crabs, and issued citations. The confiscated mitten crabs were destroyed, and the individuals involved were arrested by the NYPD for other charges.
On September 18th, three marine enforcement officers patrolling Jamaica Bay in the Queens area discovered several instances of fishing violations, including possessing tautog blackfish during a closed season, catching undersized sea bass, and exceeding the daily limit for sea bass. They issued multiple citations and educated anglers about recreational marine fishing regulations in New York State.
On September 23rd, officers received a complaint that someone was fishing for tautog blackfish at Smith Point Pier in Suffolk County on Long Island before the fishing season officially opened on October 15th. When Officer DeRose arrived on the scene, he received a call informing him that the individuals had already packed up and left the pier. Witnesses described the individuals and their vehicles.
Officer DeRose and Simmons then waited at the beach entrance. Shortly after, the target vehicle passed by, and the officers stopped the vehicle, requesting to inspect the fish caught. The driver attempted to divert the officer’s attention to the back seat instead of a cooler in the trunk. However, the officer eventually found 17 tautog blackfish in the cooler.
The fish were immediately confiscated, and the driver and passengers were fined for illegal possession of tautog blackfish, with fines of up to $850 per citation. One passenger received an additional citation for not having a valid marine registry, while the driver received another citation from the Suffolk County Park Patrol for not having 4×4 equipment. They were required to appear in Suffolk County First District Court to address these citations.