Jupiter dive crew convicted of stealing fishing gear

[Vicko]

You guys have no idea how good you have it with the FWC and similar regulatory agencies.
Most of the fisheries in the world are controlled by fisherman leaving them unsustainable and unprofitable in the long run.

An example we have here is the common amberjack. 40 years ago we had thousands of them. Then someone figured out you can catch a whole school of them with a seine net and now in my 20 years of different kinds of fishing styles including rod and reel, spearfishing and longlining I have caught 1 bigger than 10 kg and saw another 3. They are hunted to extinction here in the Adriatic and a good portion of euoprean Mediterranean.

 

[Johnoly]

Sentencing Announced.......

John Moore Jr. and Tanner Mansell faced up to five years in federal prison and as much as $250,000 in fines after jurors convicted them of theft in December. U.S. Judge Donald Middlebrooks spared them from both this month, sentencing the men to one year of probation and about $3,345 in repayment to the fisherman whose sharks they freed.

News citation link with background >>>

Jupiter divers who freed sharks, destroyed angler's gear avoid harshest penalties

Two Jupiter divers freed sharks from a fishing line and destroyed the gear. Now they owe thousands of dollars to the fisherman it belonged to.

www.palmbeachpost.com

 

[greeniguana]

Stupidity isn't as expensive as it should be.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

The unsaid part is what the lawyers' fees and court costs were. Those tend to outstrip the official fines.

 

[Jake 10]

The unsaid part is what the lawyers' fees and court costs were. Those tend to outstrip the official fines.

that is how lawyers get to pay for their gear and scuba adventures, a friend of mine told me

 

[Jcp2]

If everything ran perfectly half off is wouldn’t have work

 

[The Chairman]

Of all the government agencies, the FWC is my favorite. They might not always agree with the rules they are given, but they always seem to try to be fair. Unless you're an obvious poacher and then it's Katy bar the door.