‘We could stop more’: DNR asks for help after illegal fishing bust in Murrells Inlet
For responsible fishermen, it was an infuriating turn of events and brought to the forefront a continuing problem of disregard for fisheries laws along the Grand Strand.
On Aug. 21, 10 men were arrested by South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement officers for being in possession of illegal fish, violating both size and bag limits in Murrells Inlet.
The numbers were astonishing, especially considering the main species of illegal fish the men were caught with were red drum, which have a daily bag limit of two fish per person per day and a slot limit of 15-23 inches in South Carolina waters.
The men were in possession of 55 red drum including seven over the slot and eight under slot along with 12 undersized flounder, clams out of season, and whole stone crabs.
Flounder have a minimum size limit of 15 inches, and it is illegal to harvest whole stone crabs.
Only one of the men had the required S.C. Saltwater Fishing License.
According to First Sgt. Ryan Williams of S.C. DNR Law Enforcement in Georgetown County, the men entered Huntington Beach State Park and headed north to the tidal creeks of Murrells Inlet.
“They were in the headwaters of Murrells Inlet near the (Huntington Beach State Park) Causeway, in the small creeks,” said Williams. “They came in from the state park.”
They then used specific cast nets to catch the fish at low tide.
“They came to catch fish,” said Williams. “They knew what they were doing. The nets were designed to catch fish, and larger fish.”
Red drum are one of the most important near-shore species in South Carolina’s estuaries and are one of the most prominent species in S.C. DNR’s Marine Stocking Research Program.
Also called redfish, spottails or simply reds, red drum are long-lived and the fish that measure over the slot limit are particularly valuable as part of the species spawning stock. Red drum are typically three years old when they join the spawning stock, and can live over 40 years of age.
“We’ve worked so hard to keep a healthy population of sportfish, and (S.C. DNR has) released a lot of reds in Murrells Inlet,” said Williams. “They need to be respected. To just go out and slaughter something, that’s just not right.”
Fishermen using cast nets to harvest illegal fish, crabs and shellfish, particularly at low tide, is nothing new to Williams and his fellow S.C. DNR Law Enforcement officers in Georgetown and Horry counties.
“It’s an ongoing issue, there are a lot of saltwater gamefish violations,” said Williams. “We do write a lot of violations for people using casts nets to catch fish. There have been a lot of cases written this year and prior years. Anywhere there’s public access (to the estuaries). Pawleys Island has a big problem with it, Horry County has issues with it on their side as well.”
Fisheries laws can be found online, and S.C. DNR’s Hunting & Fishing Regulation Guide is readily available at local bait and tackle shops.
“Everything’s available, somebody has access to get online and everybody should understand you need a license to fish,” said Williams. “Whether it’s total ignorance of the laws or not, I’m not sure.”
The following were arrested by S.C. DNR and charged with size limits, catch limits and taking of saltwater game fish:
- Crispen Abraham, 33, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Antonio Cajal, 30, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Marcony Diaz, 40, Oxford, Maryland
- Fernando Mixtega-Chima, 38, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Pedro Mixtego, 34, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Esteban Morales, 25, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Maynor Omar Mejia Perez, 31, Sanford, North Carolina
- Jorge Luis Taxilaga, 31, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Guadalupe Texilaga, 41, Raleigh, North Carolina
- Juan Texilaga, 33, Raleigh, North Carolina
S.C. DNR’s official website, including hunting and fishing regulations, can be viewed in Spanish language https://www.dnr.sc.gov/spanish/index.html.
A similar case unfolded Wednesday at the south inlet of Pawleys Island when an S.C. DNR Law Enforcement Officer caught four fishermen in possession of illegal fish.
The men had used a cast net to catch two red drum that measured over the slot limit, two black drum under the 14-inch minimum size for the species and one spotted seatrout. Red drum and spotted seatrout can only be harvested by rod-and-reel or gig. Three citations and one warning were issued to the men.
Williams said the Law Enforcement Division of S.C. DNR is understaffed considering the area and scope of activities they are responsible for monitoring.
“Our natural resources are so important to the tourism spectrum of this state,” said Williams. “We’re trying to keep the rivers and the inlet safe and enforce fishery laws at the same time. We have to work from 60 miles offshore to the county line. Hunting season is ready to kick off. It’s pretty overwhelming the amount of people that are using our area now.”
With that in mind, Williams summoned the public’s help with spotting fisheries or hunting violations as they are taking place.
The public can report illegal activity through S.C. DNR’s Operation Game Thief program by calling 1-800-922-5431.
“We definitely need the public’s help with giving us a call,” said Williams. “That’s eyes we don’t have in an area. They can be totally anonymous. If more did it, we could stop more of this.”