AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Ambergris Caye Beach mugging

Every year a few people are caught with lobster out of season. The fine is usually $500- $1,000 per lobster plus confiscation of their boat.

streetchie, Did your friends report the robbery to the SP police and were they able to ID them? Seems like if that were done right away there may have been a fair chance of them being apprehended. Or would that be expecting too much from the local police? Anyone.

cap'n Jesse, Thanks for the input. Pretty stiff penalty. One would think with a fine like that no one would be greedy enough to take a chance. How
about they buyer (restaurant, resort etc.)are the also liable?

Whoever is caught with lobster in their possession is liable.

You'd be surprised who catches lobsters off season.

Yes I think they take crime very seriously! Since there Island economy is based on tourism, they do not want that type of reputation. Last year my laundry was taken from off my front pourch (my fault for leaving it out!) and just wrote it off as a lesson learned. But when one of the Dive shop/Bar Operators heard about what happened they said I should have reported it right away. They frown very heavily on crimes against tourist. Atleast that's what he told me, and I tend to believe it.

I did find one of my shirts on a 14 year old kid waiting to go to ladies night at Wet Willy's. Needless to say he ran home scared and shirtless!

To answer BK:

Surprised? Not me.

I've been there (lobster out of season). One of the island's most famous, best-promoted and well-known fishing guides volunteered to do that for us out of season. He also anchored us barely outside the boundries of the Hol-Chan marine reserve to fish and actually had us casting into the reserve to catch fish until I realized where we were. You who fish with him often will recognize who, where and what I am talking about.

I'll admit that we ate some lobster (we're never there in season for it) but I've felt badly about it ever since. Our captain admitted to us that he did it (illegally took lobsters) all the time and had been caught and fined for it before.

I'll never use him again. He even admitted that, if he were to be caught once more, he'd lose his license(s) and boat, along with hefty fines, but found the allure of the dollars he made more important than the local laws or environmental concerns. He also made it clear he had no respect for those laws or local authority.

There, maybe I've come clean. I will assure you that, as the person I am and respectful of the laws established to protect the marine environment, this has bothered me for some time. I failed in my duty to speak up.

Please, give the ecosystem the respect it requires. Don't do what you shouldn't do. Your kids will miss beautiful things as a result.

reminds me of the one about the janitor that is asked to tend the confessional while the priest goes to the bathroom

Dogmatic
you look different! is it your eyes?

..of a sailor