MILTON — Area incidents that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to are as follows.
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers Allgood, Cushing, Roberson, Manning, Miller and the U.S. Coast Guard Pensacola worked commercial shrimp boats in Pensacola Bay for several nights.
Multiple net and safety violations were documented with warnings and citations.
FWC officials seized four oversized shrimp nets. One of the nets measured more than 900 square feet, almost twice the legal size.
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Officers Allgood, Cushing and McHenry worked offshore onboard the FinCat. During an inspection of a commercial reef fish vessel, Allgood discovered a grossly undersized greater amberjack in an icebox.
One of the crewmembers stated that he was going to use it for bait. FWC officials issued a federal citation for the violation.
While approaching a different vessel during patrol, the FWC crew noticed a red snapper floating in the water behind it. During the inspection, Allgood located several undersized Spanish mackerel.
While alongside, FWC crewmembers observed several large red snapper scales on the transom of the vessel. After speaking with people on board, Allgood was directed to a bag of red snapper fillets.
Federal citations were issued for the violations.
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While approaching a recreational vessel, the FinCat crew observed someone on board move to the rear of the vessel and throw something out of the vessel.
The FWC crew observed a one-gallon bag full of fish fillets floating on the water. During the subsequent vessel inspection, Officers Allgood and McHenry discovered several more bags of fillets including gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, red snapper and another 50‑pound greater amberjack in whole condition.
Federal citations were issued for the violations.
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Lieutenant Hahr was patrolling in the Perdido River Wildlife Management Area when he observed a car pull into an area where nighttime access is prohibited.
He made contact with the driver and observed signs of impairment.
After field alcohol tasks were performed, he arrested the driver for driving under the influence. She was transported to the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, where she provided a breath sample of .099 almost two and a half hours after the stop.
She was booked for driving with a breath alcohol level of .08 or above.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officers Jones, Roberson, Barnard, Rockwell and Trueblood and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the report of a missing boater in the Intracoastal Waterway near the Navarre Causeway.
Fire rescue reported that two people were on board a small sailing boat when one of them fell overboard.
Rescue units worked through the night searching for the missing person.
The following morning, the missing person was found alive and well at a family member’s residence.
The investigation is ongoing.
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In violation prevention news, Officers Ramos and Lewis taught the laws portion of the Hunter Safety Course at Avalon Middle School and Jay High School.
As hunting season nears, FWC reminds hunters that anyone over the age of 16 and born on or after June 1, 1975, is required to complete the Hunter Safety Course unless using the Hunter Safety mentoring exemption and hunting under the supervision of a qualified hunter.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: DUI, oversized shrimp nets among violations in Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission report