A bow locker brimming with illegal redfish—20 in all—will cost three Jacksonville “recreational” fishermen over $4,000 in fines. The fish, discovered during a routine vessel check, all measured over the 27-inch upper-slot limit, with most around 39 inches in length and 18 pounds in weight.

The three poachers originally told officers they were keeping the fish to aid Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. Officers were unable to donate the fish to charity because they were not properly iced and had turned rancid.

Coastal Conservation Association Florida Executive Director Ted Forsgren applauded the hefty fines levied against the flagrant excess. “Poachers are poachers,” Forsgren said. “For years, we have tried to make the penalties more severe for both commercial and recreational violators.”

FS