Reminder for the week: Afterhours use of state wildlife and fishing areas prohibited unless hunting, fishing, or boating

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’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between July 8-14 made 3,360 contacts with anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 41 citations. Officers responded to 85 complaints regarding possible violations of laws and regulations or requests to assist the public. A 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 July 8-12, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers held their annual Kent County Basic Youth Academy attended by 23 participants at the Little Creek Hunter Education Center.

• On July 9, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, answered hunting, fishing and boating questions, and took campers on a police boat ride during the White Clay Creek State Park’s Ranger summer camp.

• On July 10, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers discussed the role of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers, answered hunting, fishing and boating questions, and displayed a patrol vessel during the Touch-a-Truck event held at the Dover Public Library.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

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

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Improperly marked crab pots (1), possession of undersized blue crabs (9), possession of undersized white perch (2), possession of flounder parts (1), removing a prohibited shark from the water (1), failure to release protected shark unharmed (1), unlicensed fishing (3), and no Fisherman Information Network (FIN) number (4).

Boating & Boating Safety: No life jacket on a child age 12 or younger as required by law (1), operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (4), operating a personal watercraft without required life jackets (1), water ski in a prohibited area (1), allowing use of a non-compliant vessel (1), no boating safety certification (1), and failure to have vessel registration card in possession (1).

Public Safety: Possession of marijuana – civil (1)* and failure to stop on command of a police officer (1).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (7)*.

*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. The Public are encouraged to report fish, wildlife, and boating violations to the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police by calling 302-739-4580 or through the DENRP Tip app on a smartphone, which can be downloaded free of charge by searching “DENRP Tip” via the Google Play Store or the iTunes App Store. Wildlife violations may also be reported anonymously to Operation Game Theft by calling 800-292-3030, going online to http://de.gov/ogt, or using the DENRP Tip app. Verizon customers can connect to Operation Game Theft directly by dialing #OGT.

Are you AWARE?
Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police are increasing patrols and closely monitoring state wildlife areas, fishing piers, public boat launching facilities, and multi-use areas for visitor safety and compliance, as well as checking for illegal activity such as drug use, littering, and damaging wildlife habitat.

State wildlife areas, fishing piers, and boat launching facilities are closed to the public from sunset to sunrise unless a person is actively and lawfully engaged in fishing, hunting, or boating in accordance with state regulations and individual wildlife area rules. Individuals not meeting these requirements and found at these sites between sunset and sunrise face fines up to $100 for trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area.

To report boating, fisheries, and wildlife violations, please call the Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police 24-hour dispatch line at: 302-739-4580 or 1-800-523-3336.

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

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.

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