Two Men Arrested In Connection with Illegal Landing and Sale of Striped Bass

[JohnR]

Hat's off to CT & RI environmental police

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?Q=423486&A=2711

September 24, 2008

Two Men Arrested In Connection with
Illegal Landing and Sale of Striped Bass

Case involves Pawcatuck Fisherman and Rhode Island Seafood Dealer

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) says a Pawcatuck, CT fisherman and a South Kingstown, RI seafood dealer have both been arrested in connection with the illegal landing and sale of striped bass.

The fisherman, Sean W. Bradshaw (DOB: 01/06/64) of Pawcatuck Ave., Pawcatuck, was charged with the landing/ sale of striped bass without a commercial license, commercial fishing without a vessel permit, possession of untagged striped bass and the commercial sale of scup without a license and during the closed season.

The seafood dealer, John J. Guerrieri (DOB: 03/31/58) of Sand Plains Road, South Kingstown, RI, was charged with buying seafood without a Connecticut seafood dealers license and operating a motor vehicle without a license.

The arrests took place Monday at Bradshaw’s home in Pawcatuck following an investigation by the DEP’s Environmental Conservation (ENCon) Police unit and the Rhode Island Environmental Police.

The Connecticut and Rhode Island environmental police acted on information that Bradshaw was catching bass and bringing striped bass back to his dock in the Pawcatuck River near his home. He would ice and store the fish at his home and Guerrieri, the Rhode Island seafood dealer, would then come to his house and buy them.

At the time of the arrest, Connecticut and Rhode Island officers seized 42 striped bass, total weight 971 pounds and 89 scup, total weight 87 pounds. With the fair market value for commercial striped bass at around $3.00 per pound, the estimated value of this bass was $2,913. All of the fish was donated to the Amos House in Providence, Rhode Island.

[1dozenraw]

Excellent. It will be interesting to see what type of fines and penalties these two end up paying. I'm glad someone turned these folks in. I'd do it in a New York second. I'm also pleased that the fish were donated and not simply discarded.

[baldwin]

Fishman Found With $3K Of Illegal Bass, Officials SayPOSTED: 12:54 pm EDT September 24, 2008
HARTFORD, Conn. -- A Connecticut fisherman and a Rhode Island seafood dealer were arrested, accused of the illegal sale of striped bass. The fisherman, Sean Bradshaw, 44, of Pawcatuck, was charged with the landing and sale of striped bass without a commercial license, commercial fishing without a vessel permit, possession of untagged striped bass and the commercial sale of scup without a license and during the closed season. The seafood dealer, John Guerrieri, 50, of South Kingstown, R.I., was charged with buying seafood without a Connecticut seafood dealers license and operating a motor vehicle without a license. The Connecticut and Rhode Island environmental police acted on information that Bradshaw was catching bass and bringing striped bass back to his dock in the Pawcatuck River near his home. He would ice and store the fish at his home and Guerrieri, the Rhode Island seafood dealer, would then come to his house and buy them, officials said. The DEP’s Environmental Conservation Police unit and the Rhode Island Environmental Police investigated and both men were arrested Monday at Bradshaw’s home. At the time of the arrest, Connecticut and Rhode Island officers seized 42 striped bass, total weight 971 pounds and 89 scup, total weight 87 pounds. With the fair market value for commercial striped bass at around $3 per pound, the estimated value of this bass was $2,913. All of the fish was donated to the Amos House in Providence, Rhode Island.Source NBC30.com, Hartford, CT

[reelecstasy]

[Joe]

42 bass with an average weight of 23 pounds.
Poachers are the best fishermen.

[Raider Ronnie]

Originally Posted by Joe

42 bass with an average weight of 23 pounds.
Poachers are the best fishermen.

I was thinking the same thing, 23lbs is a pretty good average !

[Joe]

What's most sad is that you know the guy is an outstanding fisherman. You usually never hear of these guys until they are caught. The poachers are scary good - true professionals, they've just crossed the line. Thirty years ago, he would have been folk hero -today, he's wearing bracelets.

[RIfoosball]

Hats off to the authorities; myopic greed will eliminate entire fisheries eventually.

The abuse starts at grassroot levels. I know someone who fishes an area that I fish a lot and not only is he chunking with only treble hooks, but I've NEVER seen him throw a fish back in the water. It's a small community and people have said things to him (delicately), but he ignores it and continues his practice.

The only good thing is that he doeesn't catch a lot of bass....but he abuses the Tautog and Scup.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by RIfoosball

Hats off to the authorities; myopic greed will eliminate entire fisheries eventually.

The abuse starts at grassroot levels. I know someone who fishes an area that I fish a lot and not only is he chunking with only treble hooks, but I've NEVER seen him throw a fish back in the water. It's a small community and people have said things to him (delicately), but he ignores it and continues his practice.

The only good thing is that he doeesn't catch a lot of bass....but he abuses the Tautog and Scup.

Call DEM if he is exceeding bags or keeping shorts

[piemma]

they cull.....

[MarshCappa]

I hope they throw the book at him!

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by inTHERAPY

What is sad? Sad is the fact that, imo, Team Striper is now tainted.

Don't even know if that is the same guy yet....

and I wouldn't hold anything against the team...not their fault

[Sea Dangles]

Sean is a nice guy. He fishes quite a bit and has a good degree of success. I have no sympathy for him if these charges are true. It's tough to earn a living on the water but that's no excuse. If you folks met him, you would come to the conclusion that he is a hard working regular guy like the majority of anglers on the board. He certainly is not breaking the bank with his efforts. To hold Team Striper accountable for the charges is a juvenile way of thinking. Almost akin to blaming the Patriots because Faulk got busted with weed. This is the same old story we see each year with a new name attatched.I would have to guess there could be more than one member of other team's including S-B that has bent the regulations of the fishery in the past. Whether it be keeping shorts, selling fish in the black market, or even using bait that is out of season. The law will take its course here, so don't rush to judgement regarding this.

[Mike P]

George--quoting someone's post and editing it to add your comments is wrong. It puts words in his mouth that he never said, in the eyes of people who look casually at it.

You can add your own comments under Chris' post--as he originally stated.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by inTHERAPY

To hold Team Striper accountable for the charges is a juvenile way of thinking.

The reasoning behind my thought: Team Striper, much like our team, was a hand picked team to contend for the Cup. SB.com, RISAA, etc are pretty much whoever wants to signup teams, hude memberships, not exclusive teams. The "captain" of our team made it very clear how the game was to be played "no tomfoolery whatsoever." If I am incorrect in assessment of team Striper please correct me. I am by no means insinuating that the team is "bad", simply accountable. Art

This happened after the Striper Cup was over. I'm a little unclear as to how a team should be accountable after the contest the team was assembled for is over

Maybe it would be different if it could be shown that cheating was done during the tournament, but in that instance, I would think that they captain would step forward and withdraw the suspect fish. Which is all I think that a team should be responsible for in a team contest--remove the tainted fish, bounce the offender and move on.

I don't think that anyone on SB would want to win the Cup on a technicality like that.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Originally Posted by inTHERAPY

I am by no means insinuating that the team is "bad", simply accountable. Art

I just don't see how you can even hold the team accountable....its not anybody's fault but the person who did it.

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

I just don't see how you can even hold the team accountable....its not anybody's fault but the person who did it.

I agree.

Dangles;
I'm sure he is a nice guy, but I don't see many ways it can be spun other than he had 42 fish, out of any season that would let him possess anything near that amount. Just because other people have dirty sheets, it doesn't make it ok...

[numbskull]

Originally Posted by Mike P

George--quoting someone's post and editing it to add your comments is wrong. It puts words in his mouth that he never said, in the eyes of people who look casually at it.

You can add your own comments under Chris' post--as he originally stated.

Spoil-sport

[FishTwoO]

I'll bet thse fish came from Fishers Island,which is another story.They're all nice guys.The old guy from East Haven that got caught a few years back attended church every Sunday and was an active member of the church ,he was a nice guy.The two guys that got caught in the Pawcatuck years ago are great guys.Being a good guy doesn't excuse bad behavior!

[t.orlando]

Poachers are scumbags......I don't care how nice they are. Hopefully( but doubtful), they get the full penalties.

[FishTwoO]

"Poachers are not sports minded-they are theives.Those....who destroy our enviroment are criminals."

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by RIROCKHOUND

I agree.

Dangles;
I'm sure he is a nice guy, but I don't see many ways it can be spun other than he had 42 fish, out of any season that would let him possess anything near that amount. Just because other people have dirty sheets, it doesn't make it ok...

Where did I come remotely close to calling it OK?

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Where did I come remotely close to calling it OK?

I may have assumed;
but you implied not to rush to judgment. I assumed you were referring to the angler in question; i.e. not judging him guilty. I was saying there is no way I know of to spin that if he had 42 bass....
if you were referring to Team Striper as a whole not being judged, then I apologize. You know what they say about assuming...

[BatesBCheatin]

Originally Posted by t.orlando

Poachers are scumbags......I don't care how nice they are. Hopefully( but doubtful), they get the full penalties.

Nicely stated. I couldn't agree more.

I also would hope that everyone that knows about any poaching going on drops a dime.

What I won't say is that if you know about it and do nothing you're part of the problem, but that would sound way too much like something my dad would say.

[Sea Dangles]

Originally Posted by inTHERAPY

To hold Team Striper accountable for the charges is a juvenile way of thinking.

The reasoning behind my thought: Team Striper, much like our team, was a hand picked team to contend for the Cup. SB.com, RISAA, etc are pretty much whoever wants to signup teams, hude memberships, not exclusive teams. The "captain" of our team made it very clear how the game was to be played "no tomfoolery whatsoever." If I am incorrect in assessment of team Striper please correct me. I am by no means insinuating that the team is "bad", simply accountable. Art

Since when did "Who signed up to fish in the cup" become handpicked. I don't think JohnR expects any tomfoolery. I also don't think it is fair to imply any of the other Teams' captains would encourage illegal activities. We have to remember that we are dealing with adults, who like most folks, make bad decisions occasionally.

[likwid]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

It's tough to earn a living on the water but that's no excuse.

Much like the draggers, they'll ignore reality until they're arrested doing this or standing in the unemployment line.

[Crafty Angler]

Originally Posted by Joe

42 bass with an average weight of 23 pounds.
Poachers are the best fishermen.

Ah, BFD - they were using a boat, Joe - ya gotta re-read the details.

Oooops...sorry, my apologies to our floating bretheren.

[choggieman]

he got caught this time, how long has he been doin it unchecked and how many lbs did he sell before he got caught?

[JohnR]

Originally Posted by choggieman

he got caught this time, how long has he been doin it unchecked and how many lbs did he sell before he got caught?

This part of the CT DEP statement could indicate this may have been going on for a while: "The Connecticut and Rhode Island environmental police acted on information that Bradshaw was catching bass and bringing striped bass back to his dock in the Pawcatuck River near his home. He would ice and store the fish at his home and Guerrieri, the Rhode Island seafood dealer, would then come to his house and buy them."

[FishTwoO]

Originally Posted by Sea Dangles

Since when did "Who signed up to fish in the cup" become handpicked. I don't think JohnR expects any tomfoolery. I also don't think it is fair to imply any of the other Teams' captains would encourage illegal activities. We have to remember that we are dealing with adults, who like most folks, make bad decisions occasionally.

And Bill Belichek didn't know the Patroits were filming other teams signals.Whoops!