Police Cite Three Men for Illegal Fishing Activity

Maryland Natural Resources Police officers on patrol near a Queen Anne’s County waterfront park this week charged two men with illegal fishing activity and seized 47 fish and six female crabs.

Bernardo Salvador Rivera Palma, 52, of Gaithersburg, received citations for exceeding the daily limit of striped bass, possessing 32 undersized striped bass, possessing nine undersized white perch caught by illegal means and possessing three female blue crabs.

Officers on patrol in Terrapin Park on the afternoon of Sept. 3 found a bucket full of illegal fish and crabs and waited nearby for someone to retrieve it. Palma acknowledged it was his and that he caught the white perch with a cast net.

The violations of striped bass regulations require an appearance in Queen Anne’s County District Court. Palma’s hearing date is Dec. 6. If found guilty of all four charges, he could be fined as much as $4,000.

On Sept. 6, officers checking fishing licenses at Terrapin Park found that a cooler owned by Tao Dong, 49, of Fairfax, Virginia, contained illegally caught striped bass and crabs. He received citations for exceeding the daily limit of striped bass, possessing six undersized striped bass and possessing three female blue crabs.

He is scheduled to appear in Queen Anne’s County District Court Dec. 6. If found guilty of all charges, he could be fined as much as $3,000.

An officer patrolling the Monocacy River in Frederick County on the afternoon of Aug. 27 saw a man wearing goggles and carrying a spear gun swimming and diving.

When approached, Jose Rosember Garcia, 45, of Frederick, had two smallmouth bass attached to his waist by a piece of fabric. Both fish had puncture wounds. It is illegal to use a spear gun to catch nine species of non-tidal fish, snapping turtles or any threatened species.

Garcia is scheduled to appear in Frederick County District Court Oct. 11. If found guilty, he could be fined up to $1,000.