LEE COUNTY, Fla. -- Two Bokeelia men are facing numerous charges of violating FWC rules after deputies say they were using an illegal gill net in Pine Island Sound.
25-year-old Wayne Henderson and 23-year-old Ryan Thompson were arrested Tuesday and charged with a combined 29 misdemeanor counts of Level Two rule violation.
According to the Lee County Sheriff's Office, deputies stopped their commercial fishing vessel as the men were hauling their nets. Investigators say the nets they were using had oversize mesh, making it by definition an illegal gill net.
Gill nets have been prohibited in Florida waters since 1996.
The nets were confiscated and the fish on board were donated to an animal rescue for feed.
The men were booked into the Lee County Jail and released Wednesday.
