A Wicomico County waterman was charged Tuesday with harvesting and selling oysters on a suspended state tidal fish license.
Vaughn Edward Collins, 46, of Tyaskin, received a citation after an officer found that he sold 12 bushels of oysters to Southern Connection Seafood for $504 in Nanticoke Harbor.
Acting on information from the Maryland State Police, the officer collected the buy ticket and the purchase order and interviewed the mate aboard Collins’s work boat, Ali-Bri.
Collins was prohibited by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources from engaging in any commercial fishing activities from Oct. 17 to Nov. 15.
In February 2015, Collins and another waterman were caught inside the Nanticoke River Oyster Sanctuary.
Both men were charged with illegal oyster harvesting more than 150 feet inside a sanctuary; harvesting oysters before legal hours; possessing oysters onboard a vessel between two hours after sunset and before sunrise; being over the daily harvest limit; failing to tag oysters; and two charges each of possessing unculled oysters at 40 percent below legal size. Collins also was cited for operating a vessel without running lights. The 32 bushels of oysters aboard his boat were returned to the sanctuary and the dredge was seized.
In 2014, Collins was found guilty of setting commercial crab pots in a prohibited area in Wicomico County and was fined $395. He is scheduled to stand trial in January for possession of undersized blue crabs.
Collins is scheduled to appear in Wicomico County District Court Dec. 6. As a second-time offender, he must appear. The maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine and/or on year in jail.
LOL damn, poor ole boy better find a new way to make a living OR invest in a good compass, he can't seem to figure out his fishing boundaries!!!!
ReplyDeleteThey should have given him a calendar when he got the suspension.
ReplyDeleteHe's got a silver spoon in his mouth , his relative bought the boat and everything he owns. He's a spoiled brat and has always broken the law when he can. He is not what I consider a waterman . He is however, a pile of crap.
ReplyDeleteSeize the boat. He will stop then.
ReplyDeleteso what. leave him along. period. government get out of the way!!!
ReplyDeleteUncle accountant for old man Perdue ... had two boats lol and a bunch of so called buddies telling on him .... he don't have the money uncle does .....and he's not worried ! Uncle said when he got ran off deal island where he was from he would take care care of everything as long as he was working .... even if he was smoking crack
ReplyDeleteHe does smoke crack..all his family knows..he always had things handed to him. Jail will be good for him.
ReplyDelete4:18
ReplyDeleteThe government is trying to replenish and help the bay with the sanctuary. He thinks he's better than others and only wants to make a quick buck. If he had his way all watermen would be out of a job because they would harvest everything and not consider the future.
He has made his limit almost every day. Why no mention of him being a sex offender? Attempting to kill himself and the passengers in his vehicle while smoked out on crack? He is a worthless screw ball who needs a long time cooling of out of the closet.
ReplyDelete