Last week a Florida keys captain learned the hard way you don't catch, kill illegal fish, and brag about it on social media. The ramifications are sometimes severe and can land you in a warm jailhouse. Capt. Randall David Jones, 52, of Tavernier, was arrested on Feb 12th when he posted pictures of his day's catch. All was fine except that the mixed bag included a Hogfish out of season and a Blue Parrotfish longer than twelve inches. Randall was arrested on two misdemeanor charges. He made bail later that day by paying a $10,000 bond. The captain claimed not to know that he was breaking any laws. However, as a captain myself, I know the importance of keeping up to date with the regulations. However, I can also see how this mistake is made. It seems that the laws are forever changing and updated weekly.
The laws broken above are wrong, but the icing on the cake was that David was chartering on an expired license. I would be willing to bet he straightens up now that FWC is hot on his tail. Let's all try and do our best to abide by conservation laws so that future generations can enjoy our resources just as we have.
