DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement releases police blotter for June 28-July 5 

DOVER (July 15, 2011) – To help achieve public compliance, to conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources, and to ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agents issued more than 100 citations and numerous warnings for violations of recreational boating and fish and wildlife regulations between July 1 and 4. During the full holiday week from June 28 to July 5, they also handled a few more serious violations. These included:

·         James D. Wiseman, age 31, of Port Penn, was arrested June 28 near the Reedy Point Bridge on Route 9 and charged with possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving without insurance and careless driving. He was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date. 

·         Mark Rodowiez, age 45, of New Castle, was arrested July 2 on Rehoboth Bay and charged with operating a vessel under the influence and failing to display navigation lights after sunset. He was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date.

·         Jason A. Marshall, age 22, of Newark, was arrested July 3 on the C&D Canal and charged with operating a vessel under the influence and operating without obtaining a boating safety certificate. He was issued a summons to appear in court at a later date.

Other boating and fishing violations included:

·         During a July 2 operation covering the Delaware River and Bay from Delaware City to Cedar Creek, agents performed underway checks of 26 commercial fishing vessels engaged in crabbing. All but two were in compliance with minimum size requirements for blue crabs. Two commercial crabbers were each cited for one count of exceeding the commercial possession limit of undersized hardshell crabs. Several recreational boats were also boarded and one was cited for insufficient life jackets aboard.

·         In other crabbing violations, four recreational crabbers in three separate incidents were cited as follows: one on July 3 for possession of undersized hardshell crabs, failing to mark crab pots, violating slow no wake; two on July 2 for fishing without licenses and possession of undersized hardshell crabs; and one on July 1 for tending over the limit of recreational crab pots.

 ·         Three recreational anglers were cited July 3 for possession of dismembered summer flounder and fishing without licenses, plus one was also cited for possession of a protected shark. The fishing party also received warnings for failing to obtain F.I.N. numbers and failing to carry flares as required by boating safety regulations. In a separate incident on July 2, a recreational angler was cited for collecting shellfish in a closed area and warned for failing to have a fire extinguisher on board his vessel.

·         In three separate incidents, three jet-ski operators were each cited for negligent operation of a vessel. On July 2, one was cited in the Broadkill River after attempting to splash a child on a tube being towed by another vessel. On July 4, one was cited using a jet-ski to jump surf dangerously close to shore near Indian River Inlet. On July 5, a third citation was issued to jet-ski operator jumping the wake of another vessel in the Indian River Inlet.

·         Five citations were issued June 30 at the Lewes Boat Ramp to drivers who parked cars in slots reserved for vehicles with boat trailers.

·         Three boat operators were cited July 4 on Silver Lake in Dover for life jacket violations.

Agents also handled two incidents involving wildlife:

·         A Wilmington man who was keeping a red-tail hawk in a pen on his porch in an attempt to rehabilitate it was cited on July 5 for illegal possession of a protected raptor without a permit and practicing wildlife rehabilitation without a permit. The bird had to be euthanized at Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark due to its poor condition.

·         A trapper was cited on June 30 for failing to comply with trap marking regulations after a fox was found in one of four unmarked traps near Felton.

Citizens are encouraged to report fish and wildlife and boating violations to the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section at 302-739-4580.

Vol. 41, No. 268