Poachers on Pine Island (Lee County) have dumped the filleted carcasses of 45 more snook on the side of a public road. The incident on August 15 was the second blatant display of major poaching activity in the last three weeks.

"The outlaws have responded to the public outcry for a crackdown on poaching by dumping even more carcasses," said CCA Florida Executive Director Ted Forsgren. "It simply emphasizes their complete and utter contempt for resource laws."

On July 23, poachers stacked the filleted carcasses of 52 undersize snook in the middle of a public road. At that time, CCA Florida stated that "there appears to be no end to the lawlessness nor to the extent that the poachers will go to publicly display their contempt for resource laws." In a July 29 letter, CCA Florida urged Governor Chiles to request priority action to stop the "ongoing outlaw activity in the Pine Island area."

Forsgren stated that they had not yet received a response from the Governor; however, agencies are investigating the incidents. Florida Marine Patrol (FMP) officials stated that the dumped carcasses in the first incident had no spear marks or hook marks, thus indicating that the fish were apparently taken with nets. Additionally, FMP Captain Dennis Grealish told the Ft. Myers News-Press that the culprits likely are renegade commercial netters. Snook are non-market gamefish and are closed to any taking during four and a half months of each year, including August.

In their letter to the Governor, CCA Florida noted that the Pine Island area continues to be a hotbed of illegal gill netting activity. "We have gathered photographic evidence of outlaw netting activity and forwarded numerous eyewitness and informant reports of illegal netting to state authorities," said Forsgren. "Reports of illegal netting in broad daylight are not unusual."

The FMP has put out a call for information on the snook poaching incidents indicating that callers would remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000. CCA Florida has indicated that they will provide additional funds for the reward program for information leading to the arrest of the poachers. Local businesses and other interested groups have indicated to CCA that they too would provide additional reward funds to help bring an end to the area's serious poaching problems.

"This latest gross display of contempt highlights the need for a major comprehensive initiative to stop the ongoing poaching and illegal netting in this area," said CCA Florida's Forsgren.