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’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers between July 22-28 made 4,319 contacts with anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 43 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

• From July 23-27, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers held their annual New Castle County Advanced Youth Academy attended by 15 participants at the Ommelanden Hunter Education Center near New Castle.

Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Actions

• On July 24, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers arrested Jerome McLemore, 29, of Lancaster, Pa., for one count of flight to avoid prosecution/out-of-state fugitive. Officers made contact with McLemore while he was fishing without a license at the C&D Canal Conservation Area near Middletown. McLemore was found to have two active warrants for his arrest with extradition issued by the Lancaster County Sherriff’s Office. McLemore was committed to the Howard R. Young Correctional Institute in Wilmington to await extradition.

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

Fisheries Conservation: Recreational: Possession of undersized blue crabs (9), possession of undersized summer flounder (1), surf fishing violation (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 (2), operating a vessel with insufficient number of life jackets (5)*, no navigation lights (2), no boating safety certification (4), and operating an unregistered vessel (3).

Public Safety: Possession of marijuana (1).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (6), trespass on division lands in a closed area without a permit (1), and flight to avoid prosecution/out-of-state fugitive (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. 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?
Delaware Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police remind 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, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913, or 302-382-7167.

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