According to the marine officers three men were charged after found bullynetting in the Lower Keys and have seized more than 100 illegla lobsters. Benjamin J. White, 41, a licensed commercial fisherman from Little Torch Key, was charged with possessing 89 wrung lobster tails on the water, all of which were undersized.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said that Edward A. Brusseau, 45, of Big Pine Key, was aboard White’s boat and charged with the same counts of possessing wrung tails on the water and possessing undersized lobster. Both men also were cited for possession of six out-of-season stone crab claws, and charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana. The officer also informed that on a separate boat, Christopher White, 19, of Little Torch was charged with possessing 15 wrung tails, 13 of which were below the legal size limit. He also was cited for exceeding the recreational bag limit of lobster.
Bullynetting lobster without a special permit is illegal and the officers were searching for that activity off the north side of Little Torch Key. An investigation showed Lin does not hold a saltwater products license, and could not produce trip tickets or a bill of sale for lobster in her possession, according to the FWC.
