Poacher caught!!

[Bohica]

Hat's off to the ECO's:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Denise M. Sheehan today announced the charging of a Shirley man with multiple violations of the Environmental Conservation Law after Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) observed the individual allegedly possessing 268 blackfish over the state’s fishing limit.

"This arrest once again demonstrates the work that our ECOs do each day to protect the public, and our natural resources," Commissioner Sheehan said. "ECOs are tireless in their pursuit of violators of the State’s Environmental Conservation laws."

ECOs observed Arthur C. Reilly, 46, of 39 Cypress Lane, Shirley as he returned to Senix Marina, Center Moriches aboard his commercial fishing vessel "Flora-Jo." Upon docking his vessel officers observed him offloading live blackfish into three holding pens that were in the water at the boat slip.

In total, Mr. Reilly had 293 live blackfish, 268 over the state limit, and also had five striped bass and fillets of three other striped bass in a cooler on the vessel. The state’s striped bass season ended on December 15. After counting the blackfish, 268 live blackfish were released.

Mr. Reilly was charged with possession of striped bass out of season and possession of blackfish in excess of the limit, all violations, with additional charges pending.

In addition to the work done by Long Island area ECOs to investigate marine fishing violations, the DEC also formed a Marine Enforcement Unit in June 2005 under Commissioner Sheehan’s leadership. The MEU is specifically responsible for protecting the State's marine resources by enforcing State and Federal laws and regulations concerning habitat preservation and the recreational and commercial harvesting of fish, shellfish, and crustaceans. ECOs in the unit are assigned to the lower Hudson Valley, New York City and Long Island. The MEU includes 10 officers and an investigator.

[trowpa]

Good hear hear of some enforcement! I hear of way too much of this stuff going on...

[Bohica]

Mr. Reilly should lose his license, and his boat should be made into an artificial reef.

[Sam]

Great work! Thanks for the report, Bob.

[ocsnapper]

Mr. Reilly should lose his license, and his boat should be made into an artificial reef.

I second that, would make a nice fishing reef him and the boat!

[Steve]

Just goes to say that we should all be involved with reporting persons who violate OUR resources.
Nice find, Bob.

[wagonmaster]

Mr. Reilly should lose his license, and his boat should be made into an artificial reef.

I agree, I wonder if this will make the nightly news, I am sure it would if it was a sportfisherman.

[Bohica]

I second that, would make a nice fishing reef him and the boat!

Kill a guy for poaching? Let's keep some perspective.....