Three Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Men Caught With 62 Red Drum

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 09.26.12

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents cited three men for alleged fishing violations on Sept. 21 in Lafitte.

Agents cited Rickie Thomas, 57, of Westwego, Leon Firven, 56, and Willie Langford, 80, both of Avondale, for taking or possessing over the limit of red drum and possessing undersized red drum. Additionally Firven was cited for angling without basic and saltwater licenses.

Agents received a complaint about people catching over the limit of red drum in The Pen, which is a body of water east of Lafitte. The agents stopped the men in their vessel as they were leaving the complaint area returning to the launch and found them in possession of 62 red drum with some of those being undersized.

The regulations for red drum are five per person per day with a 16 inch minimum length of which only one can be over 27 inches long.

Due to the men being 47 red drum over the legal limit, taking or possessing over the limit red drum is elevated to a Class Four violation, which carries a penalty of $400 to- $950 in fines and up to 120 days in jail or both plus court cost and revocation of fishing licenses.

Taking or possessing undersized red drum carries a penalty of $100 to $350 in fines and up to 60 days in jail or both plus court costs. Angling without a basic license and saltwater license both bring penalties of $50 in fines and up to 15 days in jail or both plus court costs.

In addition to the fines, the men will be charged a civil restitution for the value of the illegally taken fish in the amount of $1,315.60.

Agents involved in the case are Sgt. Tim Fox and Senior Agent Mitchel Saunders.

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries – Enforcement Division(LDWF) is the fish & game regulatory agency of Louisiana. It has jurisdictionanywhere in the state, and in state territorial waters. The agency enforces both state and federal laws dealing with hunting, fishing, and boating safety. The agency also enforces criminal laws in rural areas including DWI enforcement both on highways and waterways. Most of the Department’s Wildlife Agents also carry Federal law enforcement commissions issued from the United States Department of the Interior - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and United States Department of Commerce - U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). These federal commissions allow these state officers to enforce federal migratory waterfowl laws and federal marine fisheries laws in state and federal waters off the coast of Louisiana. Besides their traditional role as a “game warden”, Louisiana Wildlife Enforcement Agents also have a number of other responsibilities, including conducting board of health inspections on some portions of the state’s commercial fishing industry. Agents are trained in and conduct numerous search and rescue operations, both in remote land areas and on the state’s waterways. Agents ensure that hunters, anglers, boaters, dealers, breeders, farmers, and transporters are in compliance with regulations governing equipment, quotas, licenses, and registrations. Agents also assist other State departments and law enforcement agencies in the coordination of educational and professional endeavors, as well as national and state emergency alerts by the Federal Office of Emergency Preparedness. In addition, agents perform search and rescue missions alone or in conjunction with other local, state, and federal agencies.