MIAMI – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrested two men on Sunday for poaching lobsters in Miami-Dade County.
Officers arrested Vergel Javiel and Menendez Casana Eriel for several misdemeanor charges, including possession of lobster tails out of season. They had 468 wrung lobster tails, authorities said.
A daily limit of six lobsters per person per day is in effect during regular lobster season: Aug. 6 through March 31.
Of the 468 lobsters Javiel and Eriel had, 283 were undersized, and one was an egg-bearing female, which are always illegal to harvest in Florida, according to the FWC.
The men also had one undersized stone crab claw and one queen conch, authorities said. Stone crab season is currently closed, and queen conch are illegal to possess in state waters.
"The possession of more than 450 illegally harvested lobster tails is a serious violation," said FWC Maj. Alfredo Escanio. "This incident demonstrates how strong working relationships with other law enforcement agencies can help the FWC protect our natural resources. The FWC will work to catch any individuals, like these, who purposely violate the rules and regulations in place to protect these precious resources."