A Keys man is banned for life from fishing in Florida for his undersized lobster haul
A Florida Keys commercial fisherman was forced to give up his Florida fishing license. Forever.
A Keys judge this month banned Alfredo Gonzalez Tapia, 50, of Marathon, from fishing in Florida for life and also gave him nearly one year in jail for more than 200 violations on the water, according to the Monroe County State Attorney’s Office.
He can’t even swim in the ocean or fish from land in the Keys for five years under the sentence.
Gonzalez had more than 100 undersized lobsters along with out-of-season hogfish, undersized hogfish and improperly marked lobster buoys when he was arrested Jan. 13, 2018.
On Jan. 3, Gonzalez pleaded no contest to one felony charge of possessing more than 100 undersized lobsters and 223 misdemeanors related to illegal fishing.
Acting Monroe County Circuit Judge Ruth Becker gave him the lifetime Florida fishing ban and gave Gonzalez five years of probation with 364 days of that locked up in the county jail.
She banned him from Monroe County waters during his five years of probation. Becker also fined Gonzalez $1,000 and ordered him to pay $448 in court costs and $200 for the cost of the investigation and prosecution.
He must also perform eight hours of community service each month while on probation and take a state-certified marine resources education course.
Assistant State Attorney Kelly Dugan handled the case.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrested Gonzalez almost two years ago after they stopped his commercial fishing boat for a routine inspection in the Gulf of Mexico waters in the Middle Keys.
Officers said they found 379 undersized lobsters in containers and 173 lobster traps.
By law, commercial vessels may have 50 undersized lobsters plus one undersized lobster for each trap. That means Gonzalez would have been allowed to have 223 undersized lobsters aboard.
He was over by 156. Gonzalez admitted to the FWC officers he knew he had too many undersized lobsters. The FWC officers also discovered three undersized and out-of-season hogfish and found his lobster-trap buoys did not meet state requirements when it comes to proper markings.
Gonzalez was arrested and taken to jail, and will get credit on his jail sentence for one day served in custody.
This story was originally published January 7, 2020 at 5:24 PM.
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