Poachers Violated Size, Daily Limit Regulations In Hamptons: DEC

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — A crackdown on "late-night poachers" who were catching undersized fish and violating daily limits led to 13 tickets in Southampton recently, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said.

On Sept. 12, three NYS DEC police officers split up to patrol popular fishing areas in town during the late night and predawn hours — and found some fishermen in violation of regulations, officials said.

In one case, the ECOs approached two people transporting three undersized fluke and five undersized striped bass to a vehicle from the top of a bridge, the DEC said.

Later, three other fishermen were found in possession of 53 shad, despite the daily limit of five, the DEC said. Next, the patrol found four anglers with undersized crabs and an additional group of three people with 24 undersized black sea bass, the DEC said.

ECOs issued a total of 13 tickets for possession of undersized fluke, possession of undersized striped bass, over-limit striped bass possession, over-limit shad possession, possession of undersized black sea bass, over-limit black sea bass possession, and possession of undersized blue crabs, the DEC said.