05-01-2005, 04:43 PM
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Stonington Town Dock fisherman Robert Guzzo pleaded guilty Thursday in New London Superior Court to violating the state's fluke quota law. He had to forfeit $3,800 in proceeds from the sale of fish he had caught.
Guzzo, 46, of 241 Cos
uck Hill Road, North Stonington, addressed Judge Kevin McMahon about what fishermen believe is the unfairness of the quota system that applies to fluke landings along the East Coast.
State Department of Environmental Protection officers boarded Guzzo's boat, the Jenna Lynn, when it returned to the dock at 2:30 a.m. Feb. 28 and found that he had 2,988 pounds of fluke on board. The trip limit is 1,500 pounds. Guzzo was given a summons for illegal possession of summer flounder and his catch was seized.
Guzzo was allowed to keep his fishing license Thursday in exchange for pleading guilty.
Other members of the Stonington fishing fleet appeared with Guzzo in court. They said fluke are so abundant that it is impossible not to catch large amounts of them. They said the quota forces them to throw back large numbers of dead fish.
“This is not conservation at all,” Guzzo said.
Guzzo pointed to a federal act that states there should be no discrimination between residents of different states in the allocation of resources. However, the quota system sets different limits on fish catches in states along the East Coast. North Carolina fishermen, for instance, may land 3.8 million pounds per year while those in Connecticut may take 314,000 pounds. Some states have trip limits as high as 10,000 pounds even though most fish are caught in federal waters.
“The figures prove the resource is not divided equally,” Guzzo told the judge.
Guzzo said he did not intend to violate the regulations. He said he planned to return to port with his catch, unload 1,500 pounds, go back out to sea to catch other species and unload the remaining fluke the next day. The state, however, does not allow a boat to “possess” more than 1,500 pounds at a time.
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Stonington Town Dock fisherman Robert Guzzo pleaded guilty Thursday in New London Superior Court to violating the state's fluke quota law. He had to forfeit $3,800 in proceeds from the sale of fish he had caught.
Guzzo, 46, of 241 Cos
uck Hill Road, North Stonington, addressed Judge Kevin McMahon about what fishermen believe is the unfairness of the quota system that applies to fluke landings along the East Coast.State Department of Environmental Protection officers boarded Guzzo's boat, the Jenna Lynn, when it returned to the dock at 2:30 a.m. Feb. 28 and found that he had 2,988 pounds of fluke on board. The trip limit is 1,500 pounds. Guzzo was given a summons for illegal possession of summer flounder and his catch was seized.
Guzzo was allowed to keep his fishing license Thursday in exchange for pleading guilty.
Other members of the Stonington fishing fleet appeared with Guzzo in court. They said fluke are so abundant that it is impossible not to catch large amounts of them. They said the quota forces them to throw back large numbers of dead fish.
“This is not conservation at all,” Guzzo said.
Guzzo pointed to a federal act that states there should be no discrimination between residents of different states in the allocation of resources. However, the quota system sets different limits on fish catches in states along the East Coast. North Carolina fishermen, for instance, may land 3.8 million pounds per year while those in Connecticut may take 314,000 pounds. Some states have trip limits as high as 10,000 pounds even though most fish are caught in federal waters.
“The figures prove the resource is not divided equally,” Guzzo told the judge.
Guzzo said he did not intend to violate the regulations. He said he planned to return to port with his catch, unload 1,500 pounds, go back out to sea to catch other species and unload the remaining fluke the next day. The state, however, does not allow a boat to “possess” more than 1,500 pounds at a time.
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