Two Louisiana Men Cited for Red Drum Violations

Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries 11.29.12

A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division agent cited two New Orleans men for alleged red drum fishing violations on Nov. 24 in Plaquemines Parish.

Sgt. Adam Young cited Charles H. Stafford III, 22, and Percy I. Morgan Jr., 25, for taking over double the daily limit and undersized red drum after being found in possession of 50 red drum on the Shell Pipeline Canal located near Port Sulphur.

All of the red drum were under the legal size limit of 16 inches except for one. The daily limit on red drum is five fish per person, which put the men 40 red drum over the limit.

Possessing over the double the daily limit of red drum carries up to a $950 fine or up to 120 days in jail. Taking undersized red drum brings up to a $350 fine and up to 60 days in jail. Additionally, the men will be accessed $1,323.50 in restitution for the illegally taken fish.

Sgt. Young seized the red drum and donated them to a local charity.

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.