Incident happened July 9 on Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation, LDWF says
Agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries arrested three men Thursday for alleged oyster-harvesting violations in Terrebonne Parish.
According to a news release, Juan Resendiz-Zarraja, 33, of Houma, Jorge Enrique Loper-Mendoza, 19, of Houma and Gilberto Lopez-Pascual, 26, of Houma, were arrested for taking oysters during a closed season on the Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation.
The captain of the vessel, De-Laoanaya, was also cited for violating log book requirements, the release states.
Agents on patrol Thursday morning allegedly witnessed the vessel actively dredging for oysters, and after the stop, returned 31 sacks of oysters to the water. The vessel and oyster dredges were seized, and the men were booked into the Terrebonne Parish Jail, according to the release.
The Sister Lake Public Oyster Seed Reservation is closed for the 2014-15 season. Taking oysters during a closed season brings a $900 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail, while violating logbook sanitation code requirements carries up to a $25 fine and up to 10 days in jail.
