Poachers Cited After Fishing Out Hundreds Of Lobsters In The South Bay

SAN PEDRO, CA — Four people were cited earlier this month after being caught poaching hundreds of spiny lobsters in the South Bay, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The four people were spotted by coastal officers around 11 p.m. on Aug. 1, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. They were seen wearing wetsuits and diving gear as they took out spiny lobsters from the water, according to authorities.

They eventually left the area, but when wildlife officers caught up to them, they started running away, according to authorities, who said they later found the suspects.

In the truck the suspects were driving, officers found 236 spiny lobsters, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. At least 210 of them were undersized.

It is illegal to catch the crustacean commercially or recreationally outside of spiny lobster season, which begins in the fall and ends around March. During open lobster season, people are limited to possessing seven of them and they must be at least 3 and a quarter inches long when measured in a straight line, according to wildlife authorities.

"Fortunately, most of the poached lobsters were still alive and were safely returned back into the ocean after a quick count and photographs for evidence," according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The suspects were cited for taking lobster during the closed season, possessing undersized lobster, commercialization without a license, no fishing license and not having a measuring device, authorities said.