Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division arrested two men for alleged commercial crab violations on July 9 in Plaquemines Parish.
 
Agents arrested Jesse James Gainey, 45, of Marrero, and Clayton Palmasano, 50, of Gretna for allegedly removing the contents of crab traps that were not owned by them, failing to mark crab traps, and theft of crab traps.
 
The morning of July 9, agents set up surveillance on a line of crab traps in Grandpa Bayou and observed the pair work down the line of crab traps and empty their contents into their vessel. Agents made contact with the men and inspected the traps the men had been fishing. Some traps were found untagged, some with tags cut, and some traps with Gainey’s commercial fisherman’s tag on top of another fisherman’s tag.
 
Agents returned 100 pounds of crabs to the water and seized six crab traps. Both men were arrested and booked into the Plaquemines Parish jail.
 
The penalty for removing the contents of crab traps, use of crab traps without required markings, and theft of crab traps each carries a max fine of $950 or jail not more than 120 days, or both plus court cost and the forfeiture of anything seized.
 
Agents involved with this case are Sgt. Adam Young and Agent Travis Bartlett.
 
For more information, contact Gabe Giffin at 225-765-3966 or ggiffin@wlf.la.gov.