NRP Charges Angler with 32 Undersized Rockfish; Cites Seafood Dealer for Invasive Species

A Bladensburg man was charged Saturday with catching and keeping 32 undersized striped bass by the Maryland Natural Resources Police.

Camilo Arturo Paez Herrera, 26, received citations for fishing without a license, exceeding the daily creel limit, possessing undersized striped bass and fishing outside legal hours.

Officers on patrol near the MD 18 drawbridge at Kent Narrows received a call at 6 a.m. about someone fishing illegally. When they arrived, they found one man fishing and one man sleeping in a car. The officers saw a clear plastic bag on the car floor filled with undersized striped bass and found another bag under the bridge containing more undersized fish.

Herrera admitted to fishing since about 2 a.m.

Herrera will be required to appear in Queen Anne District Court on the three fishing violations. The court date has not been set.

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Two Montgomery County markets were charged last Friday by NRP with selling a prohibited species of fish.

Great Wall Seafood Market, with locations in Rockville and Germantown, received citations after officers found a total of 61 Asian swamp eels for sale. Swamp eels are an invasive species that competes with native species and can destroy local aquatic and wetland ecosystems. Swamp eels are prohibited from import, transport, sale, purchase and possession in Maryland

Each market was cited for possession and sale of the eels. They are scheduled to appear in Montgomery District Court on Nov. 10. If found guilty, each market could be fined as much as $50,000. The case also is under review by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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A Hagerstown seafood retailer is scheduled to appear in Washington District Court on Sept. 17 after receiving a citation from NRP selling undersized crabs.

On July 10, a NRP officer conducted an inspection at Cameron’s Seafood on Dual Highway. Two bushels of crabs exceeded the legal limit of five undersized crabs. One contained 17 undersized crabs, the other contained seven.

Hussein Kato Katende, 39, of Columbia, the manager of the shop, was given a citation and a warning. Last year, he was twice cited for selling undersized crabs and was fine $400. If found guilty this time, the maximum fine is $1,000.