Reminder for the week: Avoid overloading your vessel by checking its’ capacity plate

DOVER – To achieve public compliance with laws and regulations through education and enforcement actions that help conserve Delaware’s fish and wildlife resources and ensure safe boating and public safety, DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between Aug. 6-12 made 3,875 contacts with anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 66 citations. Officers responded to 106 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. An increased Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police presence continued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area and Michael N. Castle Trail.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police in the Community

• On Aug. 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, along with K-9 River, visited the Smyrna Police Department’s Youth Academy where they provided a K-9 demonstration and discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers.
• On Aug. 7, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers attended Middletown’s National Night Out event where they displayed MP Oscar and discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers and answered hunting, fishing, and boating questions.
• On Aug. 12, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers gave a presentation on the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, safe hunting practices, hunting laws, and what to expect when being checked by an officer while hunting to attendees of a Hunter Education Class at the Little Creek Hunter Education Training Center.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

Incident of note:

• On Aug. 10, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers in Sussex County responded to a vessel that took on water and swamped at the mouth of the Roosevelt Inlet at Delaware Bay in Lewes. Officers pulled seven people out of the water to safety and towed the vessel back to the Lewes Fire Company dock. There were no injuries as a result of this incident. The operator of the vessel was cited for negligent operation due to the vessel being over capacity.

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Unlicensed fishing (9), possession of undersized white perch (1), possession of undersized blue crab (15), no F.I.N. (6), possession of undersized striped bass (1), tending more than 2 crab pots (1), and use of crab pots without required turtle excluder (2).

Boating and Boating Safety: Operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (2), no life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (5), failure to observe slow no wake (1), operating an unregistered vessel (2), no boater safety certificate (2), and negligent operation of a vessel (2).

Public Safety: Possession of marijuana – civil (1).

Other: Operating a motor vehicle off an established roadway on a state wildlife area (2)*, destruction of state property (1)*, trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (12)*, and littering on a state wildlife area (1)*.

*Includes citation(s) issued at the C&D Canal Conservation Area.

DNREC’s Division of Fish & Wildlife recognizes and thanks the majority of anglers, hunters, and boaters who comply with and support Delaware’s fishing, hunting, and boating laws and regulations. Citizens are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030 or online at http://de.gov/ogt.

Are you AWARE?
Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police reminds boaters to always check the boat capacity plate, which is usually found near the operator’s position or on the vessel’s transom. This plate indicates the maximum weight capacity and maximum number of people that the vessel can carry safely. Boaters should always follow the recommended capacity in the owner’s manual and on the manufacturer’s capacity plate before heading out on Delaware’s waterways.

Anglers and hunters should also consider the weight of their extra gear to ensure they do not load their vessels beyond the stated capacity.

For more information on safe boating practices in Delaware, including Delaware’s boating safety education courses, please visit Delaware’s Boating Safety website.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/DEFWNRPolice/.

Follow Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police on Twitter, https://twitter.com/DE_FW_NRPolice.

Contact: Sgt. Brooke Mitchell, 302-382-7167, or Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913

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