NEWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL

Nov. 9, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 440

For more information, contact Sgt. Gregory Rhodes, 302-739-9913 or 302-542-6102, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902. 

Fish and Wildlife Enforcement
makes arrests for violations
of possessing undersized fish

DNREC Fish and Wildlife Enforcement agents over the weekend arrested two men in two separate cases involving alleged undersize fish in hidden compartments and fined five others for not having the required Delaware F.I.N. number. The violations were found during routine vessel safety inspections.

·     On Nov. 7 in Lewes, Fish and Wildlife agents arrested Chong Yol Kim, age 68, of 613 Cinnamon Tree Court, Baltimore, Md., and charged him for possession of 11 undersize tautog, which agents found in a hidden compartment on his boat. Kim was also charged with possession of two undersized channeled conch, failure to display a boat license and not having a F.I.N. number. Chong Yol Kim was issued a fine for $981.

Three passengers aboard Kim’s boat were fined $91 each for not having F.I.N. numbers: Tae Soo Lee, age 54, of Glen Burnie, Md., and Seung J. Yoo, age 45, and Young K. Song, age 68, both of Wilmington.

·     On Nov. 8 in Lewes, Fish and Wildlife agents arrested Yong Kim, age 57, of 231 St. James Drive, Glen Burnie, Md., and charged him with possession of nine undersized tautog, which agents found in a hidden compartment on Kim’s boat. He was also charged with not having a F.I.N. number. Yong Kim was issued a fine for $645.

Two passengers on Kim’s boat also were fined $91 for not having F.I.N. numbers: James Kwangyul Jeun, age 52, of Ellicott City, Md., and Yon Un Chong, age 60, of Laurel, Md.

Effective Jan. 1, 2009, Delaware requires all anglers fishing in Delaware waters, age 16 and older, licensed or not, to obtain a Fisherman Information Network (F.I.N.) number. License-exempt Delaware residents 65 and older and unlicensed anglers who fish from a licensed vessel are included in the requirement. The Delaware registry was created to meet new federal requirements. Anglers are required to carry the number with them when fishing. There is no charge for a F.I.N. number, which may be obtained online at www.delaware-fin.com, or by calling a 24-hour toll-free line, 800-432-9228.

For more information on Delaware’s F.I.N. registry, please contact the Division of Fish and Wildlife, Fisheries Section, at 302-739-9914.