Maryland Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Service has proposed new penalty system that will make penalties for poaching and other natural resources a lot quicker in 2010. There will be no exempt for one-time offenders. It is said that the proposed penalty system, unlike the one in use now, would enable officials to impose penalties on first-time offenders in severe cases.
The changes came after the 2009 General Assembly directed DNR to come up with a way to provide tougher penalties for repeat offenders. According to the Maryland Fisheries Web site, in 2008, 45 percent of Maryland’s tidal fish license holders received at least one citation for violating the law. Sarah Widman, regulatory administrator with DNR, informed that the goal is to deter people from doing it at all.
Fisheries Service Director Tom O’Connell said that they proposed increased penalties remain reasonable and will provide a greater deterrence to people thinking about breaking the law. He added that the new penalty system assigns points to commercial fishing violations based on the gravity of the offense, which includes increased penalties for repeat offenders and contains provisions for automatic suspension for certain serious violations.
