Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agents cited a Slidell man for alleged crab trap theft in Plaquemines Parish on May 11.
Agents cited Broward Barwick, 26, of Slidell, for removing the contents of crab traps that were not owned by him, failing to mark crab traps and theft of crab traps.
Agents set up surveillance on a line of crab traps near Pointe Fienne in Plaquemines Parish and watched Barwick run the line of crab traps and emptied the contents onto his vessel. The agents inspected this line of traps and found that several were untagged or tagged by different commercial fishermen.
The penalty for removing contents of crab traps, using crab traps without required markings and theft of crab traps carries a up to a $950 fine and 120 days in jail for each offense.
Agents seized multiple crab traps that will be returned to their owners and returned five boxes of crabs to the water.
Agents participating in the case are Senior Agent Gary Pierce and Agent Kyle Haydel.