In August, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) officers caught roughly 45 individuals engaged in illegally harvesting Dungeness crab, ultimately issuing 15 citations.
Officers headed to the scene at Thronton Beach in San Francisco after being alerted to “30 people” potentially poaching via the state’s tip line. Law enforcement found close to 45 individuals taking part and opted to approach small groups of poachers as they left the beach.
“As groups of suspected poachers hiked back up the trail, CDFW officers intercepted them,” the department said in a social media post on the incident. “Some of the individuals dropped bags of crabs and ran, while others were stopped as they attempted to evade detection and make their way to their vehicles.”
Officers issued 15 citations over the course of the night, and all the crabs they seized were returned to the beach. While the department did not say exactly how many crabs were caught in the illegal poaching operations, officers noted that “hundreds of Dungeness crab were saved.”
The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) credited the state’s tip line, CalTIP, for catching the poachers.
“Thanks to someone who reported suspected illegal activity and the overnight work of CDFW officers, this illegal taking of Dungeness crab came to a halt and the crab were saved. That’s an example of how, together, we can protect our natural resources,” CSLEA President Alan Barcelona said in a release.
