A host of citations and one arrest were made during a patrol of several Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPA) in the Upper Keys last weekend.
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation officers in plain clothes conducted patrols in the federal waters. On June 24, officers on patrol in the French Reef SPA off Key Largo noticed and cited a Texas man for fishing inside the SPA and possessing an undersized mahi.
Officers also patrolled Davis Reef SPA off Tavernier on June 24, when they stopped a boat carrying three men fishing inside the SPA to find four undersized yellowtail snapper. FWC arrested Roger Rodriguez, 33, of Maitland, Florida, for a variety of resource violations.
On June 25, FWC officers were patrolling Carysfort SPA off Key Largo when they saw four men from Miami in a vessel anchored inside the SPA. According to the FWC, one man was actively spearfishing in the SPA. All persons on the vessel were cited.
