Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited a Mandeville man for alleged charter guide violations in Plaquemines Parish on July 16.

Agents cited Rene Luminais, 37, for failing to have an LDWF charter guide license and failing to possess a charter recreational offshore landing permit (ROLP).

Agents documented Luminais taking clients on for hire fishing trips on four separate occasions without the required LDWF charter guide license.  Agents also learned that Luminais was taking clients offshore to target red snapper and he did not possess the charter ROLP.

Charter captains, including those fishing from vessels with a valid federal charter/head boat permit, are required to have a valid charter ROLP to possess tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, gray triggerfish and dolphinfish in Louisiana waters.  A charter ROLP covers all paying anglers on a charter trip.

Failing to have a charter guide license carries up to a $950 fine and 120 days in jail for each trip conducted. In addition to any other penalty provided for any person convicted of a second offense of violating charter guide regulations the offender may only operate a vessel that employs a vessel monitoring system for the three years after the date of the conviction. Failing to obtain an ROLP carries a $50 fine.

Agents participating in the case are Senior Agent Heather Fitzgerald and Lt. Adam Young.