An officer with Florida Fish and Wildlife is on patrol when he conducted a resource and safety inspection on a charter fishing vessel in the Florida Keys. Y'all get wet out there today or what? Yes, we did. >> [laughter] >> Good, how are you? I'm well, complain. Y'all have any luck at least? We caught some snapper and yellowtail. >> Some yellowtail? Uh-huh. I figured I'd just come get a fishing report to see how it is out there today. Oh, it's fine. Yeah, we got some yellowtail. Um we lost something that was pretty big. >> Something good? Yeah, and that was about it. So, y'all just went out to the reef line? Only to the reef. >> Yeah. We've been doing good with the with the mahi, though. Mahi? Yeah. I At first it's been kind of spotty here and there, but they're out there. Yeah, they're but most of them were small. So, we released a lot of them. Yeah. But it's fun to it's fun to catch. They're there. Yeah. You know? Yeah, I haven't seen too many big ones come in yet, but >> Yeah, that's yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um Mike, now he caught a 26 pounder. That's the biggest one we had on the dock. Um I've been catching 15, 20 pounds maybe, but >> I heard of one 40, but they went all the way like Key West almost. >> gosh. Yeah, I >> [laughter] >> I haven't seen one of those in a couple of years. >> Yeah. What's your name? Officer Givens. Nice to meet you. It's Maurice. It's Maurice. Such a pleasure. Can you get I'll just take a look at the fish and get out of here for you. Uh where y'all from? Uh Palm City. Palm City. How's the fishing there? Yeah. Oh, I got to Mhm. That's what we got. Okay. Y'all You got your fishing license, your charter license? I got everything, yeah. You got it? Can I take a look? Yeah. Can you get it? I've got it on my phone. And the registration? Yeah, I got everything. Y'all been busy? Oh, yeah. Always busy. I know. Even with the rain, people are still out fishing. Are based out of here or you a Uh yeah, the Marathon Okay, all right, cool. Yeah, weather's been like this all week. It's I know. There you go. Let me get underneath the There, so I don't get your phone all wet. Don't want to drop it in the water, either. There you go. And I'll get you my FWC card so you can you need it. You want that one too? Yes, sir. All right, no problem. You got the registration to vessel? I do. I was trying to read the numbers, but the bow flare's kind of got it to where I can't quite see it from the dock. I hear this song on the radio probably 10 times a day. You know, you start you start getting catchy, you know. >> [laughter] >> Yeah. It's Shabooyah something like that. It's It's getting catchy now. Yeah, so he's a He's I forget where he is from, but it's not your typical country music background. >> That's it. There you go. He got a hit. Yeah. Y'all staying here at Hawks Cay? There you go. You get a chance to do any fishing? Uh yeah, on the few days I get off, I try to get out there and get fishing. Ready for lobster season to come back around. >> it's time right now, right? >> Yep. Yeah, we we catch people going a little early. >> there. Sure did. >> let me now get you the registration. Yep, thanks, sir. All right, no worries. Hey, man, it's a pleasure. There you go, buddy. Oh, yeah. Makes the rough seas just a little bit easier to take. >> already know. [laughter] The day is like that, that's when you that's when you appreciate them. Yeah, got to appreciate them. You don't appreciate the the gas bill, but you appreciate the ride. >> Yeah, that's my insurance. Where is my insurance? Where is my insurance? No one got today? No. That's good. You got the paper registration on the boat or is it all electronic? >> it all electronic. I got it all electronic. Is it Is it five? I got it. It's just You just find it. It might as well. Yes. Oh, okay. As long as you jump off, walk to the end of the building, make a left at the double gray doors. You got Can y'all see the numbers on the side of the boat up there? Yeah, that might be the number. Here we go. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. I got it. There you go. One second. One second. 9411 Marathon. 10:50 for the vessel. Thanks, sir. Thank you. No No worries. You got your driver's license on you? I I I got it. I can tell you the number if you want me to tell you it. Uh Yeah. Write it down so I don't forget it. Heck, yeah. Yep. Y 5 All right. While they're getting that, let's do a quick safety inspection and then we'll measure the fish. All right? All right. Let's do it. Let's do it. Uh can I just see Yeah, what? Five people or more? Five life jackets. You don't even have to drag them out as long as I can see them. I know most people usually keep them in the big packages. Mhm. Yeah, one, two, three. You got more on the other side? I got more on the other side. I got them all around the boat too, here, bro. I got them everywhere. I think I got some Yeah. You got it. You got You're good. You got the throwable? I got the throwable. The throwable I think I just Look. It's not on this side or some other side. More like this. So, it's on this side right here. You got all my um Fire extinguisher. >> the fire extinguisher. The kit. That's your big flare kit. Let me see. You take it out. Yep, October 2024. Mhm. And the And these fire things are new. Yeah, you're good there in rovers. I won't make you get them out so they stay dry. What is that the rule of So yeah, just a throw ball and a horn or whistle. I got that. You got one of these. Here we go. You got a voice. You got a flares. I don't know I use it but we just had tied it off. Yeah, I see it. You see it back there? Yeah, that's good. All right, let's take it sir. All right, let's take a look at the fish real quick. Which one do you want? Uh well, you're going to grab them all out to fillet them, aren't you? Yeah, I'm taking them all out. Yeah, you can go ahead and just grab them out. If you put them in a bucket or whatever, you can do that and we'll just uh take a look at them. All right, no problem. Do you have something you measure with? Yeah, I got a measuring stick. I got this measuring stick right here that I use. Oh oh, sorry. You're good. I saw it coming. Nice mangrove. That's a nice mangrove. Miss. Looks like something got after that one yellowtail there. You see that, right? Yeah. And that is it right here. Oh, you got one more there. Two more actually. Two more I did. Okay. >> All right. Yeah. Hiding up under the belly. >> Yeah, they're hiding up under his bait. >> belly here. >> All right, cool. There you go. Having take those up there and we measure them. No problem. Let's do it. That lunch or dinner tonight? I don't know. I might need to borrow it. Tomorrow? Yeah, it's just a hard to get one. No, no, no. Oh, yeah, yeah. I forgot about that. And it's expensive to try to take it somewhere. That's the Yeah, that's the ticket. I'm just going to I'll get my actual measuring stick here in a minute measure. Most of these look pretty good though. Yeah. At least while we measure everything. I'll put them all up on the beam. 10-4 9411 10-13 10-15. 10-4. 10-4. Yeah, that one must have got it. Well, I'm going to say barracuda on that one. Is it barracuda? Yeah, it looks like it. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he hit it hard. And let it go. Close. You aware what kind of fish this is? A red grouper. Okay. 10-4. So, what makes you think it's a red versus something else? Cuz he's red. Cuz he's redhead. Okay. It's a Nassau. This is It's not red, huh? It's not red grouper. >> What is it? >> This is a Nassau grouper. 10-4 I'm out. Okay. So, good way One of the easiest ways to identify them, Uh-huh. see how it's got the stripe running across his head? As like this one coming across? Yes. Yeah. So, that's a Nassau. It does have kind of like the red gills like a red grouper. >> Yes, well, yeah. But a red grouper is going to have more kind of spots and not your your lines. I told you all wrong. I apologize, yeah. I said it was a red, yeah. >> Okay. Yeah. Uh so, with that, uh you're not allowed to keep Nassau grouper. >> Oh, he's alive. Let's let me release him. Okay, but I just need to talk about it and ask some questions first. >> Okay. You got a water hose here? I do. Thanks. So sorry. He's still living. Yeah, I want to get him back in the water if that's the case, right away. This fresh water or salt water? This fresh water. Okay. Let's see here. Like I said, I just want to ask some questions, but before I can, I have to make sure you're aware of your Miranda rights. Uh, and y'all as well, since you're on the boat, just so you're here, just pay attention and listen. Make sure. So, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Uh-huh. Do you understand each of these rights I've explained to you? >> do. Do you understand? Yeah. Y'all understand? Okay. >> Yeah, I understand. Yeah. Um So, having these rights in mind, based on the wish to talk to me now, I I just want to find out kind of who caught it. You said you you thought it was a red. What was the difference? >> it was a red. Yeah, it was my fault cuz I told him it was a red. Yeah. Um So, you you thought it was a red and you kept it. >> put it back? Can we put it back if it's still alive? Um, I guess I just got to take some pictures to document it first. And then I want to take these back to the car and measure them. Do you have a smaller bucket I can borrow? Uh, yeah, I got a small bucket. I'll get you one. I'll get you one. But are we trying to save this one or not? Uh, it's probably not going to make it anyways, but we'll work with it. Uh, can I just get the smaller bucket? >> Yeah, yeah, let me get that for you cuz he's living. I can put him back in there and let him um Well, uh, I'll put some salt water in that. You what? And I'll put some salt water in it and put him in there. Just try to keep keep him alive if we can. Okay. Yeah, I I think that he'll make it cuz he's still breathing. He's still breathing. He'll come back. Sometimes they're hardy. Sometimes I just depend on where they come up from. Excuse me, ma'am. Nassau grouper. I thought it was a red. I thought it was a red. Yeah, yeah. I know you made a video about it. I know, I made a video about it. Thanks, sir. Uh-huh. All right, so I'm just going to take these to the truck, measure them on my actual measuring stick. Okay. And I'll be back. No, no worries. >> Feel free to go ahead and start cleaning the rest if you need to. Okay. Okay. Uh I don't want to do them like that. They all know better. They sure shouldn't they? That's a damn shame. That one got a little prank. You know what kind of grouper this is? That is That ain't no baby Goliath, is it? Nassau. I ain't never seen one that color. They stay they out for it. That's one Is it protected just like a Goliath? That's That's god damn that should be a year probation and 1205. That's a damn shame. But but he's still breathing. You can't put him back in. >> Yeah, I'm going to. I'm just taking a picture. I'm just checking. But them snappers though, they should know god damn better than that. >> So, unfortunately, those fish are short. They are short? >> Yeah. So is that one. Okay. Okay, that one's fine. That one's fair. That one's good. We have three short yellowtails? That one's a quarter inch, but its tail is kind of messed up. Let me give you that one. So, you have five short yellowtail Okay. and the Nassau grouper, okay? >> Okay. Uh were you a charter captain? Uh-huh. I am going to cite you just cuz you should be a little more educated than the normal public on this. No question about it. I feel horrible about the re-grouper cuz I mean I keep on the re-grouper. >> I put it back in the water. Yeah, he said he It It was breathing. It didn't quite swim away, but hopefully it'll it'll catch on. Yeah, hopefully it'll catch on. >> Uh but I I'm going to be giving you a citation for these, so just stick around. I'll finish doing your job. Okay. And I'll explain it when I'm done, okay? Okay, that's fine. Okay. I'm looking at the citation. Is that Uh it's not a it's not like a ticket where you pay. It's you just have to go to court and the judge decides, okay? Okay. Okay, that's fine with me. That's fine. Looks like you got fish all stirred up over here. Yeah, I got you. Yeah, sir. Here's your bucket back, sir. >> problem about that. Thank you. Like I said, I just cited you for the five undersized yellowtail and the Nassau grouper. With that, uh it's just a mand- mandatory court appearance on July 1st at the Marathon courthouse, >> [screaming] >> okay? >> July 1st? Yeah. I can change that date? You can. Uh you just have to call them >> can Yeah, I can Yeah, cuz that's going to be a bad day for me. I won't be here. Okay. You can just call them. Uh the number is underlined on your citation. Uh it'll You have to call during the week on Monday, but uh you can work with them and try to reschedule. Okay. I see. >> Is it on the the the grouper was still alive? Uh put it in my report that I released it back in May. But on the citation it's just the charges. And if you'll sign this it just states that you'll go to court on on that day or reschedule. >> Right here? Yes, sir. You have any questions for me? I I think that's it. That's it. Yeah. I just Yeah, I thought it was a red grouper. Honestly, yeah. I I just I made a video about it. Okay. And everything. Yeah, so yeah. I understand. It's just you're you're commercial guy should know a little bit more. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I Yeah, I never even caught a Nassau grouper so that's it. They're they're pretty rare. That's why they're kind of protected. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I never caught one. So yeah, so like I said I thought it was a red. Yeah, I understand. But it ain't no big deal. I'll deal with it and everything. What normally happens? I mean It's just the judge. The judge decides all that. All we do is we just document it and send it forward and they go based off of, you know, prior history and stuff like that. >> Okay. Okay. So it's just a fine or monetary fine or something like that. Yeah, most of the time it can be or it's really just up to judge and the state attorney what they go for. >> do they come up with? All right. No problem. Have a good day, sir. In the end, the suspect was charged with being in possession of a Nassau grouper and five counts of possession of undersized yellowtail snapper. As part of a negotiated plea deal, he pled no contest to the grouper charge and one snapper charge. He was sentenced to three days in jail and 30 days of probation. He was also ordered to pay $218 in costs and fees. This captain had a previous charge back in 2008 for possession of an undersized red grouper. At the time he was reportedly using undersized yellowtail snapper for bait. This likely contributed to the sentencing of this case. If you like this video and want to see more like it, subscribe to Arrest Cam. As always, thanks for watching.