Violations Of Fishing Laws Are A Big Problem For Conservation Officers | North Woods Law

Summary

In this video script, Sergeant Adam Cheney and Conservation Officer Chris McKee investigate fishing violations, including overfishing limits and improper gear use. They encounter a fisherman with more than the allowed number of bass, leading to a ticket and a one-year suspension of his fishing license. The officers also address a suspended fisherman's non-compliant lobster traps in federal waters, highlighting the importance of conservation to ensure resources for future generations.

Takeaways

• 🚔 Sergeant Adam Cheney and Conservation Officer Chris McKee were conducting a routine check for fishing regulations compliance.
• 🎣 They were investigating complaints about people fishing over the legal limit and found a man fishing with a tackle box and lawn chair.
• 👨‍👦 A father and his child were also spotted fishing nearby, which the officers acknowledged as a positive sight.
• 🔍 The officers checked the fishing license and discovered that the man had caught more than the allowed number of bass.
• 🐟 The man claimed the fish in his bucket were for food, but the officers found that he had at least 15 bass, exceeding the limit of 5 per person per day.
• 🚨 The man was informed that he would receive a ticket for having an over-limit of fish, with fines totaling $285.20.
• 🈲 His fishing license would be suspended for one year if found guilty.
• 📝 The officers emphasized the importance of preserving and conserving fish for future generations and the negative impact of overfishing.
• 🔗 The officers also checked lobster traps for compliance with federal regulations and found issues with a fisherman's gear in federal waters.
• ⚠️ The fisherman had a history of violations, leading to a suspension in state waters and forcing him to fish in federal waters.
• 📐 The officers found unmarked traps and extra gear, which is illegal and considered as stealing from other fishermen and damaging the fishery resources.
• 📞 Officer Arsenault communicated with the violator, highlighting the federal offense and the serious implications of his actions.

Q & A

Who are the main characters in the script?

The main characters in the script are Sergeant Adam Cheney and Conservation Officer Chris McKee.

What was the initial reason for the officers to approach Dan?

The officers approached Dan to investigate complaints of people fishing over the limit.

What did the officers observe about the man fishing by the water?

They observed a man with a tackle box and a lawn chair, along with a little kid, and they decided to check them.

What was the man's initial response when asked about the contents of his bucket?

The man initially claimed that the bucket contained his food.

How many fish did the man have in his bucket, and what was the legal limit?

The man had at least 15 fish in his bucket, while the legal limit was 5 fish per person per day for bass.

What actions did the officers take after discovering the man had an over-limit of fish?

The officers decided to take the man back to the vehicle to count the fish and have him pick up all his equipment.

What was the fine for having an over-limit of fish, according to the script?

The fine for having an over-limit of fish was $524, with an additional $12.40 fine for each fish over the limit.

What were the consequences for the man found with an over-limit of fish?

The man faced a fine of $285.20, and his fishing license was to be suspended for one year upon conviction.

What is the significance of the officers' actions in terms of fish conservation?

The officers' actions are significant for preserving and conserving fish resources to ensure they are available for future generations.

What issue was found with the lobster traps in New Hampshire waters?

The issue found with the lobster traps was that the gear was not in compliance with federal regulations, and the fisherman was under suspension in New Hampshire waters.

What was the problem with the fisherman's gear in federal waters?

The problem was that the fisherman had extra traps, which put pressure on the resource that was not planned for by scientists and biologists, essentially stealing from other fishermen.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Fishing Regulations Enforcement

In this paragraph, conservation officers Sergeant Adam Cheney and Chris McKee are conducting an investigation into fishing violations. They approach a man fishing with his child and proceed to check his fishing license and catch. The man is found to have an over-limit of bass, exceeding the allowed five per person per day. The officers explain the regulations and the consequences of overfishing, emphasizing the importance of conservation for future generations. The man is issued a ticket for the over-limit, which includes a fine and a one-year suspension of his fishing license. The officers also collect evidence of the violation for further legal proceedings.

05:01

🦞 Lobster Trap Inspections and Compliance

This paragraph focuses on the inspection of lobster traps by conservation officers to ensure compliance with federal regulations. The officers find a fisherman whose gear is under suspension in New Hampshire waters and has issues with his equipment in federal waters. The fisherman had previously faced issues with untagged gear and is now found with improperly tagged traps, which is a federal offense. The officers document the evidence, including photographs and GPS coordinates, and discuss the importance of proper tagging to prevent overfishing and ensure fair fishing practices for all. The fisherman is contacted to address the violations, highlighting the serious nature of non-compliance with fishing regulations.

Keywords

💡Conservation Officer

A conservation officer is a law enforcement professional responsible for the protection and management of natural resources. In the video, Officer Chris McKee represents this role, working alongside Sergeant Adam Cheney to investigate fishing violations, emphasizing the theme of environmental protection and regulatory enforcement.

💡Fishing Over the Limit

Fishing over the limit refers to catching more fish than allowed by regulations designed to conserve fish populations. The script mentions this concept when the officers discover a person with 15 bass, exceeding the legal limit of 5, highlighting the issue of overfishing and its consequences.

💡Fishing License

A fishing license is a legal document required for individuals to engage in recreational or commercial fishing, ensuring compliance with fishing regulations. The script includes a scene where the officers check a person's fishing license as part of their investigation into illegal fishing practices.

💡Bass

Bass is a type of freshwater fish that is popular among anglers. In the context of the video, bass serve as the subject of overfishing, with the officers counting the number of bass caught to determine if the person is in violation of the catch limit.

💡Fishing Equipment

Fishing equipment encompasses the various tools and accessories used in angling, such as rods, reels, and tackle boxes. The script describes the officers checking a person's fishing equipment, which is part of their routine inspection to ensure compliance with fishing laws.

💡Violation

A violation refers to the act of breaking a law or regulation. The video's theme revolves around identifying and addressing violations of fishing laws, such as catching more fish than allowed, which can lead to penalties and license suspensions.

💡Fines

Fines are monetary penalties imposed for breaking laws or regulations. The script mentions the imposition of fines for overfishing, with specific amounts given for the initial over-limit violation and additional fines for each extra fish caught beyond the limit.

💡License Suspension

License suspension is a punitive measure where an individual's legal permission to engage in an activity, such as fishing, is temporarily revoked due to violations. The script explains the consequences of overfishing, including a one-year suspension of the offender's fishing license.

💡Lobster Traps

Lobster traps are devices used to catch lobsters, often requiring compliance with specific regulations to prevent overfishing and protect marine life. The script discusses the inspection of lobster traps by conservation officers to ensure they meet federal regulations, illustrating the broader theme of resource management.

💡Federal Waters

Federal waters refer to areas of water bodies that fall under the jurisdiction of the federal government, often beyond a certain distance from the shore. In the script, the officers find issues with fishing gear in federal waters, indicating a broader scope of regulatory enforcement beyond state boundaries.

💡Trap Tag

A trap tag is a form of identification used on fishing gear to ensure it is registered and compliant with fishing regulations. The script describes a situation where a fisherman's gear lacks proper tagging, leading to legal consequences and reinforcing the importance of regulatory adherence in fishing practices.

Highlights

Sergeant Adam Cheney and Conservation Officer Chris McKee investigate fishing over the limit complaints.

They approach a man with fishing tackle and a lawn chair, suspecting overfishing.

The officers check fishing licenses and the number of fish caught.

A bucket with moving contents suggests live fish are being kept illegally.

The man admits to having more than the legal limit of bass, facing potential penalties.

Officers explain the consequences of overfishing, including fines and license suspension.

The importance of preserving fish stocks for future generations is emphasized.

A fisherman is caught with 13 smallmouth bass, over the daily limit of 5 per person.

The fisherman is given a ticket and faces a fine for over-limit fishing.

Conservation officers also check lobster traps for compliance with federal regulations.

A fisherman with a history of violations is found fishing in federal waters despite suspension.

Lobster traps are inspected for proper tagging and compliance with regulations.

Fishing extra traps puts undue pressure on fish stocks and is considered stealing from other fishermen.

Evidence of violations, including pictures and GPS coordinates, is collected for reporting.

Officer Arsenault discusses the severity of the violations and their federal implications.

The transcript highlights the ongoing efforts to enforce fishing regulations and protect marine life.

Transcripts

sergeant Adam Cheney and conservation

officer Chris McKee had two hooks at Dan

to investigate complaints of people

fishing over the limit

there's a guy down below I see fishing

tackle box lawn chair there's dad this

little kid will just want to check them

good yeah exactly

the other guy with you down there no

okay you gotta check guys and you're all

set so yeah you're all set come on good

job bud hey you doing you have any luck

how long you been out today

there you go

hey hey keeping any of them know how

many of you caught so far today I'm just

checking official I did your fishing

license oh yeah okay Parrish so what do

you have in the Prowler I asked him what

was in the bucket he told me it was his

food

the bucket is moving so there's some

sort of fishing there's something live

inside the bucket you said you had food

in the core how many bass do you have

these are these are baths these are all

bath how many do you have

okay you're only allowed to have 5i

you're only allowed to have five you

have at least 15 or so in here okay you

see clearly over his limit of Bassett

you can possess right now so we're gonna

take him back up to the vehicle and see

how many fish he actually has and have

them pick all his equipment up and check

them at the vehicle where it's a little

bit safer further away from the water

where we can kind of control the

situation

yeah I got to call the fish he ass eater

one back when we were there but everyone

was a smallmouth yeah he's coming up if

you want just wait for our wave go up

just count them okay now the limit from

smallmouth is 5 per person per day 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 17 18 so your 13 fish

over the limit right now alright I'll be

right back with your Oh quick

we want to make sure people aren't

taking over lists you know we want to

see the children down here like they are

and the dads taking their kids here they

take all the fish out there's gonna be

nothing left for anybody else to have so

yeah when I asked him what he had the

bucket he told me was food he said he's

got food in there so okay

he caught a bass falls there as soon as

I caught it he looked at me and threw it

back so he obviously knows I'll explain

that to him as well so all right so

basically you're gonna get a ticket for

having over a limit of fish okay all

right so we're gonna let you keep five

of the fish okay court sets a $524 for

having an over-limit of fish after that

every fish you possess is a $12 40 cent

fine so on top of that so the fines are

gonna end up being two hundred and

eighty-five dollars and 20 cents okay

you will have your fishing license

suspended for a period of one year once

they find you guilty on that okay you

have any questions for me or anything

okay I'll give you your your license

back here as well so don't keep down

Anya and the our estimate I'm gonna get

an evidence bag l will fish do you want

our G yeah you P you can pick them out

we're getting more and more people that

are coming in and starting to catch fish

and keep them as many as they can it's a

resource that is declining and it's

important to be able to preserve and

conserve those fish so that they're

there for the future actually this

doesn't this doesn't work this is not

good

he's got the hog rings but he's got a

half hitch down there so that no off the

New Hampshire Coast the conservation

officers check on lobster traps to make

sure the gears in compliance with

federal regulations this guy is

currently under suspension in New

Hampshire waters and now we found issues

with his gear out in federal water

it's got a tag last year we had a run-in

with this fisherman with some one tag

gear in state waters one trap on a

scroll that was untag so that put him

out of business in state waters he's

suspended for a number of years in state

due to all their violations that have

piled up before so that kind of forced

him into the federal waters side of

thing - stank bait in state waters

fishermen typically fish 10 traps on a

trawl we're out in federal waters right

now so this is probably going to be a 20

trapped raw which on this boat we don't

have much room for it but we can do it

[Applause]

no trap tag

[Applause]

no tag I don't know if you didn't think

we were gonna come out here and check

his traps again or if we didn't think we

had the equipment or the abilities to

get a trawl this size up on the mold or

what but I guess you decide to chance it

again Falcon a house more gear you know

if we can find another trawl by fishing

extra traction it's putting pressure

that wasn't planned for by the

scientists and by the biologists the

damages the resource by fishing extra

traps and it basically stealing from all

the other fisherman's law

[Music]

we clink

same as before there it is it's no red

taggle huh no tag no tag

egregious

like the blankie history so everything

we have here the pictures the GPS

coordinates are all evidence that we're

gonna put into a report and forward to

Noah with the evidence gathered and the

report filled out

officer arsenault talks to the violator

on the phone hey Ron arsenal fishing

game ya know the weak link was also

messed up on that that little toggle

buoy that you had and he had a

half-hitch through it so you can't have

that either yes the more so was the

issue of the trap tag says we've had an

issue with that in the past it was one

trap on two trawls that we we only

pulled two trawls of yours and they're

both the same

no one's gonna be in touch with there

cuz that's a federal offense it's not

it's not with us go on for the four

pleasures

but he didn't know hundreds of other

people

you