Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited three Mississippi men for alleged oyster violations on May 9 in St. Bernard Parish.
Agents cited Delton H Wells, 60, of Liberty, Miss., Raymond A. Johnston, 57, of Summit, Miss., and Gasper S. Penton, 50, of Bay St. Louis, Miss., for failing to have working Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) while using an out of state landing permit.
Agents were on patrol when they found three vessels actively dredging for oysters with two of them in Karako Bay and the other in Fishing Smack Bay. Agents made contact with the subjects on board the vessels and found they were from Mississippi and were dredging for oysters in Louisiana using an out of state landing permit without working VMS systems.
Regulations state that you must have a properly working VMS system while using an out of state landing permit to fish for oysters.
Agents seized a total of 407 mini sacks of oysters from the three vessels and returned them to the water.
Failing to have a working VMS with an out of state landing permit brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail.