A Miami-Dade man is accused of illegally harvested marine life, state marine officers say. He was found in the Keys with 20 speared hogfish, two speared red grouper and one wrung lobster tail.
Zenen Lopez-Calderon, 28, is charged with violating fish or wildlife rules, resisting arrest and violating Florida Wildlife and Conservation Commission regulations. He was released from the Monroe County jail Monday on $8,000 bond.
Fish and Wildlife spokesman Bobby Dube says that officers Alex Piekenbrock and Kyle Mason were on patrol Sunday evening when they saw a man snorkeling at the Ohio-Missouri Bridge near the Sunshine Key RV resort. The man, who turned out to be Lopez-Calderon, started swimming to shore and had with him a speargun, string of fish and a mesh catch bag tied to a line, Dube said.
As the officers approached, he got out of the water — but not before dumping his catch, Dube said.
Piekenbrock got in the water and retrieved the catch bag.
Lopez-Calderon was cited for possession of 15 hogfish over the bag limit, possession of six undersize hogfish and two undersize red grouper, possession of two out-of-season red grouper, possession of two red grouper over the bag limit, possession of a wrung lobster tail on the water and interfering with a Fish and Wildlife officer.
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