Officers Bust 3 for Poaching Striped Bass on Manasquan River

Three Pennsylvania fishermen were caught in the act of poaching 87 striped bass on the Manasquan River, including 46 undersized bass.

One of the men had a prior conviction for poaching striped bass and has had his fishing privileges revoked, according to state Department of Environmental Protection spokesperson Larry Hajna.

The New Jersey Conservation Officer Association posted the incident to its Facebook this week, however, the three men were apprehended this summer and plead guilty to the charges in Brielle Municipal Court in September.

Conservation Police Officer James Woerner, and Conservation Police Detective Christopher Moscatiello were alerted that fishermen were harvesting striped bass illegally by the New Jersey Transit railroad tracks, which span the river.

Woerner and Moscatiello then conducted an overnight patrol on Aug. 28, along the river in Brielle and observed three fishermen suspected of harvesting large numbers of undersized striped bass.

The officers stopped two of the fishermen as they were on their way back to their vehicle and inspected their catch.

The officers found the fishermen to be in possession of 31 undersized striped bass, according to the post. An officer then went out along the railroad tracks and scooped up a third fisherman, who was found to be in possession of 15 undersized striped bass.

The fishermen were issued court-mandatory summonses for possession of undersized and over-limit striped bass. The three men appeared in court September 25. They are:

• Domingo Rodriguez, 51, of Bethlehem, PA pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of 15 undersized striped bass and one charge of possession of 13 striped bass over the daily limit. A combined penalty of $2,512 was assessed, plus court costs.
• Luis A. Rivera Feliciano, 37, of Allentown, PA pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of 14 undersized striped bass, and one charge of possession of 12 striped bass over the daily limit. A combined penalty of $2,012 was assessed, plus court costs.
• Victor M. Rivas, 52, of Bethlehem, PA pleaded guilty to one charge of possession of 17 undersized striped bass and one charge of possession of 16 striped bass over the daily limit. A combined penalty of $3,012 was assessed, plus court costs.

Rivas had a prior conviction in 2015 for striped bass violations. Rivas’ hunting and freshwater fishing license privileges are now suspended for two years in New Jersey.

New Jersey has no saltwater fishing license and so there is nothing to preclude Rivas from continuing to saltwater fish.

The suspension has been reported to the 46 other member states of the Interstate Wildlife Violator’s Compact, which may impose license suspensions as well.

New Jersey regulations permit fishermen to harvest one striped bass between 28 and 43 inches, and one striped bass over 43 inches.

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