MEP officers arrest individual, cite another for striped bass violations in Bourne, Sandwich


BOURNE
– Mass Environmental Police report that on Tuesday, officers responded to a report of an individual taking over the limit striped bass along the Cape Cod Canal in Bourne and storing them in his vehicle. Upon arrival to the scene, officers located the individual actively fishing. Officers subsequently approached the man; during their discussion, the man indicated that he had not caught any fish that day. When asked for his fishing license, the man indicated it was in his vehicle. Officers then met the man at his vehicle; in plain view was a large cooler. Officers asked the man if there were fish in the cooler, he then opened the vehicle and showed officers three large striped bass on ice.

Officers subsequently placed the 38-year old male from Taunton under arrest for failure to display catch on demand, over the limit striped bass, and *one count of a commercial fisherman in possession of a commercial fish with its right pectoral fin cut. The individual was transported to the Massachusetts State Police Barracks in Bourne for booking.

*Any striped bass over 34” possessed by a fisherman on a closed commercial day must have its right pectoral fin completed cut off. This law was passed to prevent fisherman from “stocking up” on striped bass on closed fishing days.

Meanwhile, on Monday, a Massachusetts Environmental Police Lieutenant was on a marine fisheries patrol in the town of Sandwich. At approximately 11:30 p.m., the Lieutenant observed a pickup truck stop at a temporary commercial striped bass dealer location.

The Lieutenant approached the male operator of the truck and asked if he had any luck. The party stated he had caught five striped bass; the lieutenant subsequently asked the operator where he was fishing, to which the operator responded – in the surf by the canal. The operator presented the Lieutenant his Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Boat Permit with an endorsement for striped bass. The Lieutenant advised the male party that because he was fishing from shore, he was in violation of the commercial striped bass regulations which state:

Commercial fishermen engaged in striped bass fishing under the authority of a Commercial Fisherman Individual or Rod and Reel permit, issued in accordance with 322 CMR 7.01(2)(h), (i) or (j), or under the authority of a Commercial Fisherman Coastal Lobster, Offshore Lobster or Boat Permit, issued in accordance with 322 CMR 7.01(2)(a), (c), (d) or (e), while fishing from shore or any location other than the registered vessel listed on the permit may not possess, land, offer for sale or sell more than two striped bass per day.

Three striped bass were seized and the male party was issued a citation for possession over the commercial limit of striped bass. He was allowed to sell his legal limit of two striped bass.
Media release and photos furnished by Mass Environmental Police



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