Man Accused Of Illegally Harvesting Shellfish In Norwalk: Police

NORWALK, CT — A man accused of illegally harvesting shellfish in Norwalk was arrested last week, according to police.

In a news release, Police Lt. Tomasz Podgorski said the department's Marine Unit began investigating a report of a large commercial shellfishing vessel suspected of illegally harvesting shellfish on the city's recreational shellfishing beds on Oct. 27.

Marine Unit officers responded to the area and noticed a fishing vessel actively working the recreational grounds, Podgorski said.

From shore, officers saw multiple loads of shellfish being harvested and dumped onto the deck of the vessel, however they were unable to identify the operator of the vessel, according to Podgorski.

Officers deployed a Marine Unit vessel and continued to observe the dredging activity on the recreation beds, Podgorski said.

Officers then approached the vessel and identified the operator as Michael Oravez, 61, of Norwalk, according to Podgorski.

"Oravez has been previously issued a citation from the same type of activity," Podgorski said in a news release.

Officers confirmed the boat's location using GPS coordinates and coordinated with the Connecticut Bureau of Aquaculture and Laboratory Services, who verified the harvesting was occurring in the city's restricted beds, Podgorski said.

According to Podgorski, police later determined Oravez sold the illegally harvested clams to a local supplier and falsely reported the harvest location as an authorized commercial area.

After further investigation, Oravez was arrested Friday. He was charged with second-degree larceny and violation of shellfish regulations.

His bond was set at $7,500 and he is scheduled to appear in court later this month, according to Podgorski.