A Montauk fisherman faces a potential felony charge and up to $10,000 in fines for possessing more than four times as many striped bass as he was allowed to have under state environmental laws. Capt. Dave Aripotch, owner of the commercial fishing boat Caitlin Mairead, was seen unloading striped bass at Gosman’s Fish Dock on November 5, according to the Department of Environmental Conservation. An investigation revealed that Mr. Aripotch had 93 striped bass in his possession, even though state laws permitted him to have only 21 bass, the DEC said.
Because the 815 pounds of bass were valued at more than $2,000, the illegal catch could become a felony under the illegal commercial statute of the state Environmental Conservation Law.
The DEC also issued tickets to three fishermen returning to Montauk on November 10 who had caught a number of black sea bass, which are out of season, and several more blackfish than the state’s daily catch limits allow. Christopher Miller of Montauk, John R. Davis of New Hampton, and Jan Naftel of Rockville Centre were cited for catching 41 black sea bass out of season and possessing eight more blackfish than their four-per-man limit allowed them to keep. The charges carry a potential penalty of some $4,800.
The officers also charged Harvey Smith with possessing 14 more blackfish than he was permitted in underwater live-storage containers. He faces up to $1,400 in fines.
On November 18 two DEC agents, Officer Liza Bobsein and Lieutenant Frank Carbone, suspected a local fisherman of taking people fishing on his boat for a fee, even though he does not hold a state charter captain’s license. During their investigation the officers allegedly witnessed Matthew Miller and two other people return to Montauk from fishing and the couple hand Mr. Miller money once back on shore. The officers charged Mr. Miller with charter fishing without a permit.
Mr. Miller initially denied that the couple had chartered his boat and that they were just friends. But after interviewing the couple, who the DEC would not identify because they were not cited for any violations, the officers determined that they had paid Mr. Miller $450 for a half-day of fishing on his boat, Daisy Miller. The charge carries a potential fine of $500 and the loss of the privilege to obtain a license.
on Dec 1, 2009