We love to hear about fish and game officers busting violators and protecting the natural resources that are critical to outdoor recreation. Here are some quick stories of Texas Game Wardens and their efforts to protect our environment.
Texas Game Wardens were patrolling the Gulf of Mexico on February 3rd when they discovered a fishing vessel they wanted to investigate. The fishing boat or “lancha” was illegally fishing in the United States Exclusive Economic Zone had three men on board along with over 500 pounds of red snapper. The boat, crew, and gear were all turned over to the U.S. Coast Guard in South Padre Island. While red snapper season has opened in Texas State waters as of January 1, 2022, this boat was not in state waters or following Texas fishing regulations.
Texas Game Wardens in the Galveston area stopped a boat returning from an offshore trip and found the three individuals on board had 24-gallon bags full of red snapper and cobia filets. Processing fish before returning to shore is against the law and the individuals were cited. The fish fillets didn’t go to waste and were donated to a local womens shelter. In Texas, the daily bag limit for cobia is two fish over 40”. For red snapper the limit is four fish over 15” for state waters (within 9 miles of shore) and two fish over 16” for federal waters.
Joey Butrus
Updated on December 6, 2022
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