DFG Warden Discovers Boat, Drugs on Central California Coast

Media Contacts:
Pat Foy, DFG Law Enforcement, (916) 651-2084
Mark Crossland, DFG Law Enforcement, (805) 594-6198

A Department of Fish and Game (DFG) warden discovered a drug running boat and a large quantity of marijuana north of Morro Bay Thursday. 

A DFG warden discovered a drug running boat and a large quantity of marijuana north of Morro Bay

The warden was investigating a vehicle parked in an unusual location near the northern boundary of the Piedras Blancas Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary when he spotted the 30-foot “Panga” boat beached on the sand. He followed fresh human footprints leading away from the boat and found 22 bales of marijuana nearby.

The boat was abandoned but held multiple plastic barrels containing more than 400 gallons of fuel for the outboard engines. Because it was a potential pollution hazard, wardens from DFG’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response arrived to facilitate cleanup. Food, water, clothing and other supplies were also found inside the boat.

Several other agencies including California State Parks, California Highway Patrol and the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office responded to remove the fuel barrels and drugs, and tow the boat off the beach.

Police from all the involved agencies searched near the boat and the surrounding area with officers, dogs all-terrain vehicles and a helicopter, but no suspects or additional evidence were found.

The Panga is a type of modest-sized, open, outboard-powered fishing boat common throughout much of the developing world. They are considered extremely seaworthy and can go as fast as 35 miles per hour. Law enforcement personnel presume the drugs were being staged in the sand dunes for pickup, transport and eventual sale.

MPAs are primarily intended to protect or conserve marine life and habitat, and include state water quality protection area, state marine cultural preservation area and state marine recreational management areas. It is permissible to have a boat in the area but beaching a boat is highly unusual and typically indicative of distress or illegal activity.

The investigation is continuing.

DFG and Orange County Successfully Prosecute First MPA Violation

A Riverside County man was fined more than $20,000 and sentenced to a week in jail for poaching lobsters inside a marine protected area (MPA). This is the first resource crime conviction since the MPAs off theSouthern Californiacoast went into effect onJan. 1, 2012. 

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Marbel A. Para, 30, of Romoland pled guilty in Orange County Court on May 4 for violating Fish and Game Code 12013, which stipulates a minimum $5,000 fine for anyone who takes or posses more than three times the daily bag limit of lobsters.

“This diver intentionally took a huge overlimit of lobster with no regard for the current laws,” said Department of Fish and Game (DFG) Assistant Chief Paul Hamdorf. “He didn’t follow any fish and game laws, including the take restrictions within an MPA.”

After midnight on Jan. 15,DFGwardens foundParaand a companion with 47 California spiny lobsters in their possession. In addition to illegally taking the lobsters from an MPA, the divers were well over the legal possession limit of seven lobsters per diver, and all but five of the lobsters were undersize. Para claimed that all the lobsters were his and his companion was not cited.

“This was a big case, but unfortunately it wasn’t the biggest even in the last 12 months. Any time you have something that has significant monetary value, there will be a small group that will exploit it, regardless of what the law says,” said Hamdorf.

DFGhas been working closely with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to combat resource crimes in the county. Para was ultimately sentenced to three years probation, seven days inOrangeCountyjail and a $5,000 fine for theDFGviolation. Additional fees and penalties pushed the total fines to more than $20,000. He also had to forfeit all his SCUBA equipment and was given a “stay away” order from the Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve.

The MPAs were created through the Marine Life Protection Act in order to simplify and strengthen existing marine reserves and fishing regulations to allow recovery of fish populations that have been in severe decline.

Media Contacts:
Paul Hamdorf,DFGLaw Enforcement, (562) 342-7210
Andrew Hughan,DFGCommunications, (916) 322-8944

Annual General Trout Opener Coming Soon in the Eastern Sierra

 

The general trout opener in many counties throughout California will commence on April 28, one hour before sunrise. In Inyo and Mono counties, all waters are open to fishing on this date.  

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Because of the popularity of this annual event with the angling public, DFG is making every effort to stock trout in all accessible waters approved for planting prior to the season opener. Lingering winter conditions could play a major role in how many rivers, creeks, lakes and reservoirs can be stocked before April 28.

Most lakes, rivers and streams have a limit of five trout per day and 10 in possession. However, regulations differ on season opening and closing dates, bag limits, minimum and maximum size limits and gear restrictions. Anglers are advised to check the 2012-13 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulation booklet, found online at www.dfg.ca.gov/regulations, for regulations specific to each body of water.

This year DFG regional staff created the Eastern Sierra Back Country Fishing Guide to provide anglers with a quick, informative and accurate account of the distribution of fisheries in back country high elevation lakes. This guide does not address front country waters, defined as lakes and streams that are accessible by vehicle. Most of the lakes lie within U.S. Forest Service lands managed as Wilderness and usually require back country permits for overnight use. Most back country fisheries are based on self-sustaining populations of trout and do not need regular trout stocking to maintain fish populations. The guide can be found at http://dfg.ca.gov/regions/6/.

Crowley Lake in the Eastern Sierra is expected to be one of the most popular opening day destinations for anglers from around the state. In past years, an estimated 10,000 anglers have turned out for the opener, and approximately 50,000 trout are caught during the first week of the season. Typically Crowley is planted with hundreds of thousands of small and medium sized trout, and because of excellent food sources in the 5,280-acre lake, these trout grow to catchable sizes and weigh at least three-quarters of a pound by the opener. About 10 percent of the trout caught at Crowley during opening weekend weigh over a pound and a half. These fish are from stocks planted in previous years or are wild fish produced in Crowley’s tributary waters.

Anglers are asked to be particularly vigilant when cleaning fish and fishing gear at Crowley Lake and in the upper and lower Owens River Drainage. The New Zealand Mud Snail was discovered several years ago in the Owens River Drainage and DFG is trying to keep the snail from spreading into other waters. To avoid spreading New Zealand Mud Snails to other waters, anglers are advised to clean and dispose of their fish guts in trash cans, rather than throw them back into the water. Wading gear should be properly cleaned before using in new waters.

All persons age 16 and older must possess a valid California fishing license to fish within the state’s borders. Freshwater fishing license can be purchased online at www.dfg.ca.gov/OnlineSales or at regional DFG offices or other authorized dealers. Anglers no longer have to display their license visibly above the waist but they must have it in their possession while fishing.

Media Contacts:
Andrew Hughan, DFG Communications, (916) 322-8944
James Erdman, DFG Region 6, (760) 873-6071