CO Brian Scott and CO Klitz recently completed the Marine Law Enforcement Training Program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) located in Glynn County (GLYNCO) Georgia. This program consists of 19 class days focusing on the safe and proper operation of marine patrol vessels, with specific training in law enforcement operations. Some specific areas of study covered were nautical chart interpretation, pursuit, stop and approach of a vessel, boarding procedures and officer survival afloat. This is a rigorous, in-resident course. Both of these officers had cumulative averages above 90%

On March 9, 2012 CO Moscatiello was patrolling around the Shark River Inlet in Avon when he noticed several fishermen at the end of the jetty. CO Moscatiello conducted surveillance of the fishermen and observed one individual catch a short striped bass and hide it in the rocks. After a short while one of the fishermen placed the striped bass in a soft pack cooler and attempted to leave the jetty. As CO Moscatiello attempted to apprehend the fisherman he ran to the end of the jetty and dumped the fish into the rocks. CO Moscatiello gained control of the three fishermen at which time CO Klitz arrived to provide assistance. CO Moscatiello was able to locate the striper in the rocks and issued the appropriate summonses.

On February 16, 2012, COs Trembley and Stites conducted a boat patrol on the Cohansey River. While checking some smaller creeks for fishing and trapping activity, two staked/anchored gill nets were discovered. The nets appeared to have not been tended for a while and contained several dead and decaying white perch. Neither net was marked properly with the identification number of the owner as required by regulation. After pulling both nets for evidence, COs Trembley and Stites were able to get a three digit crab pot license number from two of the floats. Upon further investigation, the crab pot number came back to a local fisherman who had not renewed his commercial crab pot license or his gill net license for several years. On February 19, 2012, CO Trembley interviewed the individual with the expired licenses. The individual said that the nets were not his and that his father may have used some of his old crab pot floats to set gill nets in late November 2011. On February 25, 2012, COs Trembley and Swift interviewed the father at his residence. After speaking with him for a few minutes, the father admitted to setting the gill nets in late November 2011. He explained that the nets were not tended for several months because his boat motor had broken down, leaving him no way to tend the nets. He gave a voluntary, written statement and was charged with having gill nets set without a 2012 gill net license, not properly marking his nets, and wanton waste of marine fish.

On February 16, 2012, CO Petruccelli conducted an inspection of two commercial otter trawl vessels, in response to a call from the vessels' owner stating that they landed and offloaded directed harvest amounts (over 100 lbs.) of black sea bass without possessing NJ Black Sea Bass Landing Permits. CO Petruccelli determined that the Captains of the F/Vs Fishermen's Dream B and My Girl were told by the vessels' owner, through email on the Vessel Monitoring System that they could land up to 1500 lbs. of black sea bass. The F/V Fishermen's Dream B landed and offloaded 650 lbs. of black sea bass and the F/V My Girl landed and offloaded 150 lbs. of black sea bass. The black sea bass were accepted by Atlantic Cape Fisheries which possesses a NJ Black Sea Bass Dealer Permit. When the owner of the two trawlers realized he made a mistake, he called the Marine Region Office. CO Petruccelli also investigated Atlantic Capes Fisheries to find out why they purchased directed harvest amounts of black sea bass from vessels that did not possess NJ Black Sea Bass Landing Permits. A representative from Atlantic Capes Fisheries stated that they were not aware they could only purchase directed harvest amounts of black sea bass from vessels possessing a NJ Black Sea Bass Landing Permit. The black sea bass were seized and sold for fair market value. The appropriate charges were issued.

In response to information received from other Atlantic Coast states regarding increase of illegal elver (juvenile American eel) harvesting activity in their states, Marine Region Conservation Officers have been conducting patrols along traditional elver habitats. The officers have observed dense concentrations of elvers in certain areas; however they found no evidence of violations. This information also reported that buyers were paying approximately $1000.00 per pound for the elvers.