An Oklahoma City man was cuffed after a marine deputy observed him in possession of a threatened marine species.
According to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Lower Keys marine deputy Luis Guiardinu was on patrol at Sunshine Key Resort at approximately 5:47 p.m. on Aug. 20. Guiardinu observed Vu Xuan Dinh, 48, in possession of six queen conch. Dinh was taken to jail.
Per Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, “possession of live Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) at any time is prohibited. It is not unlawful to possess queen conch shells in Florida as long as the shells do not contain any living queen conch at the time of collection, and so long as a living queen conch is not killed, mutilated, or removed from its shell prior to collection. Possession of conch meat or a queen conch shell having an off-center hole larger than 1/16 inch in diameter through its spire is prohibited.”
For wildlife regulations, visit www.myfwc.com.
