ISLAMORADA, Fla. – A Miami fisherman was cited this weekend for harvesting a protected species after a Monroe County sheriff's deputy found the carcass of a lemon shark in his truck, authorities said.
Adam Linhardt, a spokesman for for the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, said Jose Medina, 63, was stopped along the Overseas Highway in Islamorada around 4 p.m. Saturday. Upper Keys Deputy Nelson Sanchez inspected the bed of the truck and found a large cooler with the shark inside, Linhardt said.
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Medina said he found the shark on the shoreline, and he didn't want it to go to waste, Linhardt said. The shark was seized and Medina is set to appear in court on the citation. He could face hundreds of dollars in fines.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission protects the lemon sharks because the agency believe they at risk of being over harvested. Lemon sharks are often found in shallow waters and don't reproduce as much as other breeds.