CHATHAM – From Mass Environmental Police: On the early morning of August 5th, 2026, Massachusetts Environmental Police Officers received a report from the United States Coast Guard of a fisherman in the area of Ryders Cove, Chatham, with suspected illegal commercial striped Bass on board. After a marine fisheries inspection, Officers determined the fisherman to be in violation of multiple regulations governing the possession and taking of commercial striped bass.
Officers found the fisherman to be in possession of a total of 18 fish and violations of possession of commercial striped bass on a closed commercial day, 6 of those fish under the legal-size limit of at least 35 inches in total length, and after investigating further, discovered the fisherman had landed a double commercial limit for a single day.
All 324lbs of fish were seized and subsequently forfeited to the Commonwealth following a civil libel hearing resulting in $1,863.00. The violator was issued a Massachusetts Environmental Violation Notice with fines amounting to an additional $2,905.80.
The Massachusetts Environmental Police would like to thank the United States Coast Guard for their partnership and assistance throughout this case.
As a reminder, our officers are out in the field every day enforcing the laws of the Commonwealth that help protect the natural resources we all value. We encourage anyone witnessing a natural resource violation to contact our 24-hour dispatch center at 1-800-632-8075
Photos by Mass Environmental Police/CWN
