DNREC Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police Blotter: Oct. 7-13

Reminder for the week: Don’t forget to download the enforcement app DENRP Tip

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 Oct. 7-13 made 2,857 contacts with hunters, anglers, boaters, and the general public, issuing 28 citations. Officers responded to 44 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 Actions
• From Oct. 7-10, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers continued to search the C&D Canal for one missing occupant from a submerged vehicle incident. The missing occupant was recovered Oct. 10 and pronounced deceased on scene. The Delaware State Police Reconstruction Unit is currently investigating the cause of the incident.

• On Oct. 8, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officers responded to and initiated an investigation of a non-injury, property-damage incident in which a sailboat struck the Reedy Island Jetty in the Delaware River. The vessel was removed by a private salvage company.

Citations issued by category, with the number of charges in parentheses, included:
Wildlife Conservation: Wildlife area map violation – using a firearm in an area closed to Sunday firearm deer hunting (1).

Fisheries Conservation: Commercial: Possession of undersized oysters (17). Recreational: Possession of undersized tautog (2).

Other: Trespassing after hours on a state wildlife area (4), littering on a state wildlife area (1), and target shooting at Blackbird State Forest (3).

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 is 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 encourage the public to download our law enforcement app as described above, which enables you to connect with our officers, receive alerts, and submit anonymous tips from your smartphones.

When considering what type of tips to report, note that Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, including two K-9 tracking units, investigate hunting, fishing, and boating violations; respond to and investigate hunting and boating incidents; respond to poaching complaints through Operation Game Theft; and patrol state-owned boating access areas, fishing ponds, piers, and 19 state wildlife areas encompassing nearly 65,000 acres statewide. Our officers also conduct marine law enforcement patrols and boating safety checks on Delaware waterways, including within the state’s three-mile offshore limit in the Atlantic Ocean.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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DNREC Natural Resources Police Park Rangers charge Seaford angler with landing a prohibited shark species

DOVER – Following a tip made from within Delaware Seashore State Park, DNREC’s Natural Resources Police Park Rangers charged a Seaford man with landing a prohibited shark species, in connection with taking a sandbar shark out of the water while fishing June 11 at 3Rs beach within the park.

Jay Katz, 65, was cited by Park Rangers for one count of catching and removing from the water a prohibited shark species. Katz was released, with his surf fishing permit suspended, pending an appearance in the Court of Common Pleas in Georgetown at a later date.

Certain shark species found in Delaware waters, including sandbar sharks, are prohibited species. They must be released as quickly as possible if caught, and must not be removed from the water when releasing them. Many different species of sharks can be found in both the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean. In addition to dogfish sharks and popular sport fishing species such as the mako and thresher, anglers may encounter several prohibited species, including sandbar and sand tiger sharks.

Anglers are prohibited from keeping sand tiger sharks, as well as sandbar sharks. Hook-and-line anglers cannot remove from the water any sandbar or sand tiger shark, or any other prohibited species of shark, all of which must be immediately released in a manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival.

A complete listing of shark regulations is available at Delaware Code – shark regulations. For more information on identifying shark species, visit Delaware’s Most Commonly Misidentified Sharks on DNREC’s website. Additional information about sandbar sharks can also found on the DNREC website.

Citizens are encouraged to report surf fishing violations to DNREC Natural Resources Police Park Rangers by calling 302-739-4580 or by downloading the “DENRP Tip 411” app on a smartphone, which enables citizens to send anonymous tips to authorities.

Media contact: Beth Shockley, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 175

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