THREE CITED FOR ILLEGAL GILL NET VIOLATIONS

Release Date: 04/20/2010

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Division agents cited three men on Saturday, April 17 for allegedly using illegal gill nets near Lake Felicity in Terrebonne Parish.

Agents observed Ryan M. Greene Sr., 21, from Cutoff, Shane P. Dufrene, 20, from Galliano, and Tori L. Demere, 33, from Golden Meadow, with an illegal gill net in their boat. Agents approached the vessel and found the illegal gill net with approximately 100 pounds of illegally caught black drum and eight pounds of illegally caught sheephead.

Agents checked Greene's commercial licenses and found he had not purchased a required vessel license nor did he have a required permit allowing him to travel with the gill net onboard his vessel.

While conducting a boating safety inspection of Greene's vessel, Agents also found that Greene had an expired boat registration, no boat numbers, no personal flotation devices (PFD), no fire extinguisher, no boat registration certificate in his possession, no sound producing device and Greene had not taken a required boating education course.

Greene was cited with possessing commercial fish without a vessel license, using a saltwater gill net illegally, possessing a net without a traversing permit, expired boat registration certificate, no boat numbers, failing to comply with PFD requirements, no fire extinguisher, no boat registration certificate in possession, no sound producing device, and failing to comply with boating education requirements.

Dufrene and Demere were each cited for illegal use of a saltwater gill net and possession of a net without a traversing permit.

The penalty for possessing commercial fish without a vessel license is punishable by a fine of $250 to $500, or jail time up to 90 days, or both plus court costs. The penalties for illegal use of a saltwater gill net is a fine of $900 to $950, or jail time up to 120 days, or both plus court costs and forfeiture of anything seized. Possessing a net without a traversing permit is punishable by a fine of $900 to $950, or jail time up to 120 days, or both plus court costs and forfeiture of anything seized.

Boating safety violations are each punishable by a fine of $50, or jail time up to 15 days, or both plus court costs.

Agents participating in this case were Senior Agents Wesley Duck and Bear Fletcher.