DEC Marine Enforcement Unit Seize over 1,180 Pounds of Fluke

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[ul][li][/li][/ul][url "http://cthuntnfish.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=6514#p25966"]DEC Marine Enforcement Unit Seize over 1,180 Pounds of Fluke[/url]

DEC Marine Enforcement Unit Seize over 1,180 Pounds of Fluke and Black Sea Bass
Seized fish from the Mary Elizabeth worth approximately $2,400

More than 1,180 pounds of summer flounder and black sea bass, worth approximately $2,400, was seized this weekend by officers from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC)'s Marine Enforcement Unit during a commercial fisheries inspection in Hampton Bays, DEC Chief of the Bureau of Marine Resources, James Gilmore announced today. Officers boarded the vessel Mary Elizabeth and charged the owner/operator, John Berglin, with failure to tag containers of summer flounder upon landing with additional charges pending.

"Overfishing and out of season have been shown to have devastating affects on our local marine populations," said James Gilmore. "We are proud of the work our officers of the Marine Enforcement Unit conduct everyday. Our officers are always on the watch for violators and individuals whom believe they will be able to conduct illegal activities on our waters with no consequences. Our officers will continue to work hard to protect the natural resources our marine environment offers and help ensure these resources will be available for generations to come."

On Sunday, Feb. 8, DEC Officers boarded the vessel Mary Elizabeth at Soleau's Wharf in Hampton Bays. The vessel was found to have landed approximately 1,500 pounds of summer flounder, for which there is currently a 350 pound landing limit in New York State. The vessel also had approximately 100 pounds of black sea bass onboard, a species which is currently closed to commercial in New York State. A total of 1,142 pounds of summer flounder and 45 pounds of black sea bass were seized by DEC. The value of the seized fish was just over $2,400. The vessel owner/operator, John Berglin, 51, of Hampton Bays, was charged on-site with failure to tag containers of summer flounder upon landing. Additional charges against Mr. Berglin are pending.

Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) with the Division of Law Enforcement's Marine Enforcement Unit are trained and equipped exclusively to conduct marine patrols within the marine district of New York. Enforcement focus is to ensure compliance with the state and federal regulations.

For more information on marine regulations and limits, visit the DEC website.

To report any environmental crime, please contact the DEC's 24 hour TIPP hotline at:
1-800-TIPP DEC or 1-800-847-7332. It is toll free and DEC keeps the identity of all TIPP callers confidential.
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