On April 25, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrested Aramis Valdes Chinique, 38, Ernesto Hernandez, 55, and Ernesto Leon Lopez, 37, all of Key West.
Each was charged with one felony and three misdemeanor counts related to alleged fishing violations.
Officers with FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service were on patrol near Stock Island when they saw a vessel with the three on board with spearguns. They said they were recreationally fishing for the day and had speared five great barracuda, five sheepshead, two mangrove snapper and one dog snapper. The officers conducted a resource inspection and discovered a hatch containing a concealed cooler with an additional 51 great barracuda.
The bag limit for great barracuda in Monroe County is two per person or six per vessel; the slot limit is a 15- to 36-inch fork length, with one fish greater than 36 inches per person or vessel per day.
The subjects had 50 great barracuda over the legal limit, 19 of which were greater than the legal size limit, officers said. All three were arrested and taken to jail. More information on Florida’s saltwater fishing regulations is at myfwc.com/fishing.
