If you like fish and wildlife content, be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on future videos. Florida Fish and Wildlife officers received several phone calls related to improper stone crab traps. >> Hello. >> Hi, this is Officer Winter with FWC. >> Hi, how are you? >> Good. How are you? Is this Miss >> Yes. >> What is your first name? >> Nancy. >> Nancy. Okay. So, we got a call about another uh we got a call around the same location. I just pulled 11 traps. Is it Were they pink buoys? >> Yeah, pink buoys. It wasn't There wasn't 12. >> No, I got 11. >> Okay. Cuz I think when I came through there, I thought I counted 12, but maybe there was only 11. But they weren't there yesterday cuz I had the dog my dogs. I take them to the backside of Sawyer when the SE when it's real low and I come that way to come back home and they weren't there yesterday when I came through at like 12:30 1:00 and then today I went out and when I was coming back in around 2:00 I guess it was I'm like those are new buoys cuz the only buoys I know out there are kind of at the end of that island which are lobster buoys and it's the same two guys work that area. >> Yeah. cuz I see them out there all the time and I'm like, man, these are some new buoys. So, I just circled around and I'm like, God g those are stone crab buoy. Those are stone crab traps. I'm like, okay. Did the governor give us some grace period or something that I didn't hear about? >> No, ma'am. So, yes, they were pink buoys with the letter R on them, correct? >> Right. Right. Recreational. Yeah. >> And you didn't see who did it by chance? >> No, cuz like I said, when I came through yesterday, they were not there. Okay. >> So, somebody put them in yesterday afternoon or early this morning. >> Okay. >> Cuz they were there when I came in at 2:00 today. >> Okay, perfect. Yeah, we got >> have a name on them. >> Um, so we do have two names on the actual traps. Uh, we tried calling the phone number, but we ended up pulling them out of the water and I'm on my way up to Marathon now to put them in evidence. >> Um, >> okay, good. Well, good. You got a name at least cuz I know >> I mean I register mine, but there's a lot of people I don't think register them, you know, >> 100%. and we couldn't find any registration on them. And usually you put your uh recreational number on there, too. But yeah, we definitely got a hold of those. So, thank you so much for calling it in. >> Great. Well, thank you for going out and doing it. So, >> yes, ma'am. Do you have any questions? >> Nope. That's it. I I really really really appreciate it. I'm I'm glad y'all went out and responded because that just sucks, you know, that people aren't following. >> Yes, ma'am. And you >> you said they were pink and you counted like 12 years. >> I thought there was 12, but maybe it was only 11. >> Okay. Yeah, cuz technically you can only have five for recreational. And I know that one of them they had one extra. >> Yeah. Well, that's why I thought I thought I counted 12 and I thought the same thing. I'm like, well, if you can only have five a piece and that's two people. Why did they have two extra ones? But if you only counted one extra one then >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. We definitely appreciate the phone call. >> Okay. Yeah, cuz I have I mean I took pictures of the buoy and the coordinates and stuff. I didn't know if you wanted those. I mean, you got them now. So, >> will you please send me Will you please send me that? And then Yeah. >> If >> I kind of So, this being said, can we like swear and affirm that this is your witness statement over the phone that you, Miss Nancy, >> you swear and affirm that? >> Okay, perfect. >> Yeah. Yeah. No. Yeah. >> Okay, cool. Yeah. Thank you so much. >> Okay. Um, so the number I text them to is the number that you called me on, >> correct? >> Okay. All right. I will text you all the pictures that I took. >> Thank you so much. I appreciate it. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. And what was your name again? >> Officer Paris. Like France, winter, like the season. >> Okay. Okay. All right. Great. All right. Thank you. >> Yes, ma'am. >> All right. Bye. Bye. Mute off. >> Pig feet, all the bait. Returning that to the resource, seizing the traps. >> Pretty much. First, I want to say that this with y'all's traps, literally, you had them in there less than 24 hours and you got so many calls about them. Yeah. Um, so a lot of people are not happy. Okay. Um, so pretty much what you're going to be getting charged with is, and again, this is just a notice to appear citation. This could end up in fines, whatever the case is. Um, if you haven't had any M&I or like history with us, a lot of times, yeah, a lot of times the judges will just be like, "Okay, PTI," which is like a course, or um, I don't know, it could be anything, but I doubt that you'll go to jail or anything like that. Okay. Yeah. Um, so pretty much the first one was the the buoys were properly uh improperly marked. So it has to be >> permanently affixed. Yeah. It can't just be a Sharpie and not really. Yeah. It has to >> So what should I do? >> Uh carve. >> You know what I mean? >> A white buoy. >> If you have a white buoy, carve into the buoy the R. Does that make sense? Or >> like burn it. >> Yeah. burn it or take a knife and like carve it in there. It has to be permanently on the buoy. So, a lot of times like a lot of the uh >> Sorry, I've been doing Sharpie for like my whole life. >> I understand. Um so, a lot of the commercial guys will do the same thing with their tag numbers. Uh they'll like carve it into their buoy. Um so, there's that one. So, you're going to get an extra one because you had six traps in the water. Okay. It's five per person. And I know officer Rayold uh will be here too and he's going to explain some stuff to you. >> Just can I have your ID? Sorry. Of >> course. >> So two for each of you. Three of the escape rings were not drilled out. >> Um they you had the plate with the circle but the actual uh trap there was no way for there was no escape ring. They're like small lighthouse. And then one was not having uh out of season. So pretty much October 15th. >> Um >> it was the 22nd. And then it's the same thing. That one. That one's yours. >> Good morning. >> Hi. >> Nice to meet you. >> Sorry we're meeting under these circumstances. What do you got uh Paris left? Just printing all that. All right. You good if I do my side? >> Yeah, you're good. >> All right, let's go back to the tailgate real quick. >> Has she said anything? Have you talked to them yet? >> All right. Can you unlock? All right. These are citations. These are separate from what she's going to give you. These are just regular like um >> tickets. >> Tickets. Exactly. >> Um >> three options. You can pay in person, pay on the phone, contest in court. >> We're gonna pay. Uh this is because you did not uh regardless if you got it after the fact, you did not have your stone crab recreational permit at the time. >> Uh is a $55 fine. It's pretty much the same amount as buying a license. >> All right. Um who is this? >> Jackie. >> Jackie. Go ahead and sign for me. This is not a plea of guilt. Just saying that you received it. >> We understand what it is. >> Okay. Take care of those right away. >> This is your copy. Okay. And this is for you. Then this. For some reason, our mobile forms did not generate. So for every untagged trap, it's $25. >> Okay. >> So Jackie, you had one over. Um, so you are 150. It's same thing. This is a ticket. >> Um, no problem. >> And then this is you put the wrong amount. It's 125. All right. So, this again, this is for your untagged traps, guys. Are you aware of how to how to tag them? Now, did you guys look it up? >> You told us that the on the traps, like the R actually has to be burn or carve into it. >> So, this has to do with your actual trap tag. You're going to get five individual numbers. >> They're probably not going to send you the tags. So, you need to get some type of >> Can I burn them on the plastic like we put our name on after? You could I would do it separate. I would do it maybe on the opposite side or along the side. >> Okay, >> you could do that. Um >> I'm not going to put traps out for a while. >> I don't want this to discourage you, but I know that it is going to discourage you. Um all right, so sign right here. [snorts] Um again, these are just uh tickets. Let me give you your copies. Again, yours is different because you had six traps untagged in the water. I'm sure she's already told you guys. I know I'm going to kind of lecture you. It's just a just a big deal down here. Wouldn't imagine how many calls we got about your traps being out. Yes, sir. >> Less than 24 hours. >> Less 24 hours. >> That's a quiet channel, too. Not there's not much boat traffic. >> Yeah. I'll come check. Yeah. The commercial guys run in and out of there. All the big boats. They know traps. They know who's where and they know the bully netters are out at night. Our captain had five calls from commercial guys. They make their living out there doing that. >> I understand. >> And when they see people when they cuz we write the hell out of them. >> We're after them all the time, right? >> Yeah. Cross teased off the eyes. When they see somebody else with those in, it's a big deal. That's how they make the money down here. That's all we are down here is fishing and and and crabbing. So, it is a real big deal. So everything down here, I don't know if she's also explained, everything down here is a misdemeanor. We don't have prices set up for we don't have we don't have the ability to give you a citation for any of the uh traps, anything like that. The only thing we give you a citation for is the license. So in saying that, if you had an undersized fish right now, there's not a a ticket for it. It would go before a judge. Everything down here that has to do with anything is a court appearance unless it's a license. So if you're out fishing and you got undersized fish over over the bag limit, under whatever it is, it's always going to be go in front of a judge down there. Other places are different, but for some reason in Ro County, go in front of a judge. >> Um they decide and determine whether it be citation, uh probation, uh community service, whatever it is. >> Just to go over stuff, buoy not properly marked. I think she already went over that. Five traps per person. You had six out. Okay. >> Um This should have all your stuff on it. It did not have your trap identification. That's why there's that one. And then your escape rings. As I was trying to explain over the phone, some of your traps had escape rings, but the hole wasn't cut. You had no hole there. So, just cuz it's on the outside, there's no way for the escape ring to actually work. >> So, quick question. >> We're getting tickets for the traps being out of season and then we're going to go go to court for the >> You're getting a ticket. You're getting a a citation for not having a stone crab permit. >> You're not have It's like fishing without your saltwater fishing license. Yeah. >> And you have undersized fish. >> You're getting written for the You're getting a ticket for not having your stone crab permit. >> Got it. >> These are having to do with the the actual trap itself is not into compliance. Um the uh again the escape ring, that's this one, not having your stone crab trap identification number on it. Your buoy was not correct. Um, this is you're getting this one because you had six in. Can only have five. >> Um, in there. Yeah. So, >> okay. >> Uh, yeah. I already gave you yours. Just explain. You've got the same one, sir. Just not with the five traps per person. >> We have the uh we have your traps. So what will happen here further is pending the court's decision um we keep those in evidence uh during discovery whichever route it goes they can be introduced into the court and then and then from there it's whether at the end of the decision whether you guys get them back or not. >> Oh we might get them back. >> No interest. >> Yeah. Just get get with us and then we'll we'll depending court's decision what they rule and how it goes further. >> Your phone number. >> Absolutely. You should. Yeah. >> Yeah. Even if it's not related to this, you can call that. So if it gets settled out and I pay a fine, then I can call you and ask you if I'm going to get my traps back or not. >> Yep. We'll see what the court rules and we'll go from there. Definitely. >> Right now, they are in evidence. They belong to the state of Florida >> and that is until the court's decision has been made. >> Okay. >> I obviously can't help with the defense side of stuff, but if you guys have questions, >> thank you. I appreciate you. >> I'll be as compliant and as helpful as you guys are and moving forward. No, we're not trying. Um, again, that's the date for your first appearance in front of a judge. That is the time to be at the courthouse. That is the address. If you cannot make it or anything comes up, you have any question, call that number. That is to the courts. That's not to us. They'll help you with everything, rescheduling, whatever it is. >> Okay. >> Yeah. >> Yes. Do you have any questions? >> Yeah. >> Like I said, if you have any questions later on, feel free to call or anything like that. Yeah, >> we're not here to be like >> I don't want to say the word, but >> No, I get it. >> We're treating everybody the same. We're not singling y'all out. If if somebody else was stand in front of us, they get the same stuff. >> So, across the board, >> they get it worse. [laughter] >> All right. Sorry, we had to meet on the circumstances. If you have any questions for us, >> you nice to meet. >> Yes, sir. In the end, Mark was charged with failing to tag a trap, not having the required stone crab endorsement for commercial harvesting of stone crabs, failing to affix a commercial stone crab endorsement number to the trapper buoy, and improper construction of stone crab traps. Through a negotiated plea deal, he pled no contest to failing to affix a commercial stone crab endorsement number to the trapper buoy. His adjudication was withheld and he was sentenced to 6 months of probation with the possibility of early termination upon completion of an FWC course. The course was promptly completed and he paid $323 in cost. Jacqueline was charged with harvesting stone crab traps during a closed [music] season, improper construction of stone crab traps, failing to affix a commercial stone crab endorsement number to the trapper buoy, exceeding the five traps per person limit, and improper trap markings. Through a negotiated plea deal, she pled no contest to the improper construction of the stone crab traps. Her adjudication was withheld and she was sentenced to six months of probation with the possibility of early termination upon completion of the FWC course. She completed the course and paid $323 in costs. They were both cited for not having the appropriate license to harvest. Each of their citations currently show a balance of $75 after failing to pay. If you like this video and want to see more like it, subscribe to [music] Arrest Cam. As always, thanks for watching.