An Ocala, Florida, U.S.A. commercial fisherman was sentenced to a month in jail, six months probation, and a USD 2,838 (EUR 2,410) fine after pleading guilty to nearly two dozen lobster-related violations.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers arrested then 51-year-old Raidel Alvarez Perez during an inspection of a commercial fishing vessel near Sand Key Lighthouse in Boca Grande on 22 March 2025. The officers found that the vessel did not have the correct identification displayer, and an inspection found 16 wrung lobster tails, six of which were undersized, in a bucket floating off the stern. According to FWC, Alvarez Perez and another mate onboard admitted to concealing the lobster tails, and they were arrested and transported to jail.
Alvarez Perez was charged with 23 misdemeanors.
According to the Miami Herald, Alvarez Perez later pled guilty to 16 counts of possessing wrung lobster tails and seven counts of possessing undersized spiny lobster.
“These laws are designed to protect one of the Florida Keys’ most important natural resources and preserve the long-term sustainability of our fisheries. Illegal harvesting practices threaten conservation efforts and undermine the many commercial fishermen who follow the law every day,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield said, according to the Miami Herald.
