Key West The Newspaper

A 51-year-old Miami-Dade County man was cited on July 5 for possessing illegal snappers and lobster, about three weeks before lobster mini season gets underway.

Miguel Comesana was charged with possession of three undersized mutton snapper and one undersized, out-of-season lobster.

Marine Deputy Wilfredo Guerra was patrolling on the Long Key Bridge when he saw a man later identified as Comesana with a cooler and fishing rods. Deputy Guerra inspected his cooler and found the illegal catch. The mutton snappers measured under 15 inches, but State law requires them to be 18 inches.

Florida lobster season runs from Aug. 6 to March 31 with mini season beginning on July 24. Harvested lobsters must be measured in the water, and the carapace must be larger than three inches. Law requires every lobster angler possess and use of a measuring device at all times. Deputy Guerra issued Comesana a notice a to appear in court for the violations.

See related video news: Hundreds of Lobsters!

Note: Information in this crime report was provided by area law enforcement. Please remember that all suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

Anyone with information about this crime should contact the Sheriff’s Office Dep. Matt O’Neill at 305-664-6480 Ext. 6587. Callers who wish to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-471-8477. Tipsters can remain anonymous and if a tip leads to an arrest in the case, the caller may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips may also be submitted online at www.floridakeyscrimestoppers.com or via a text message using the smartphone app called P3 Phone. Tips can also be submitted via social media such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter using the @CrimeStoppers305 hashtag.