The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in July put those seeking to poach sea life from Sarasota Bay on notice.
An FWC officer in the area of Longboat Pass in Sarasota Bay at about 8 p.m. July 18 observed people taking sea life, according to a report from the agency.
The report said the officer inspected one vessel and found numerous species, including lightning whelk, hard clams, tulip snails and fighting conchs.
In total, eight species and more than 250 organisms were returned alive to the waters during the investigation.
Also, the FWC issued a captain on the boat two criminal citations for the alleged illegal harvest of sea life. The name of the captain was not provided by the FWC as of Islander press time July 24.
Earlier July 18, the FWC had received calls from tour boat captains who saw people collecting large quantities of sea life.
A similar incident occurred July 1 near Jewfish Key off Longboat Key.
In the July 1 incident, Linh Anh Ha and Loc Nguyen of Bradenton and Hai Nguyen of Rockford, Illinois, were cited for allegedly harvesting more than two live shellfish of the same species per day, which is prohibited in Manatee County and a violation of Florida’s administrative code pertaining to marine life recreational bag limits, according to a case report from the clerk of the circuit court’s office.
The men will be arraigned at 8:55 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Manatee County Judicial Center in Bradenton.
Several hundred live shells confiscated July 1 by the FWC were returned to Sarasota Bay.
The state investigators have been aided by tour boat operators, including Capt. Kathe Fannon of Captain Kathe and First Mate Pup-Pup Charters in Cortez, Capt. Katie Tupin of Captain Katie Scarlett Boat Tours in Cortez, and Capt. Joe Sweet of Sweet Sunsets and Dolphin Tours in Anna Maria.
All three captains provided information, photographs and video to the FWC.
On July 17, Tupin said she and her fiance documented the illegal harvest of several hundred live shellfish by people on one boat. She said she confronted the boaters after witnessing them tear animals from shells to keep the flesh.
The captains have been working for months to document what they say are several groups poaching sea life from sandbars and grass flats in the bay.
“It’s about time that these poachers are held accountable,” Tupin said in a July 20 interview with The Islander. “Since the first call late June-early July, I have noticed a much bigger (law enforcement) presence and patrol around the bay.”
Sweet, who before captaining a tour boat served in the U.S. Coast Guard as part of the presidential security detachment at Stations Key West and Cortez, said he received a congratulatory text from FWC officers for aid.
He said the FWC has built some solid cases against poachers this summer.
However, Sweet and Tupin said putting a halt to illegal harvesting will take time.
Sweet told The Islander July 20 that the FWC is spread thin and having trouble responding to hotline calls.
“They are working short-staffed due to border issues. Hopefully, they catch more (poachers) since we know there are way more offenders out there,” Sweet said.
In May, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis sent Florida National Guard troops and law enforcement officers to Texas to assist with border control. The assignment included 20 FWC officers.
How to help
Capt. Katie Tupin of Captain Katie Scarlett Boat Tours Tupin has started a Facebook page, Voices for Sarasota Bay, that focuses on education for the preservation of sea life and seagrass in Sarasota Bay. To reach Voices for Sarasota Bay by phone, call 941-348-8162.
To reach the FWC hotline, call 888-404-3922.
Checking the rules
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission website states the following about collecting sea life:
In Manatee County, you may not harvest or possess more than two shells (includes echinoderms such as sand dollars and starfish) containing live organisms of any single species except for oysters, hard clams, sunray Venus clams and coquinas per day.
The recreational collection of seashells is allowed depending on whether or not the harvested seashell contains a living organism, the type of organism it contains and where you will be collecting.
Seashells containing live organisms cannot be sold unless the seller has a valid commercial saltwater products license.
Harvest of any shellfish species is prohibited year-round in waters not meeting approved or conditionally approved classification, including any unclassified waters.