On the first day of lobster season this past Sunday, four men found themselves on the wrong side of the law after being cited for illegal lobster catching off Hawaii's Big Island. According to a news release from the DLNR, state conservation enforcement officers were carrying out inspections at the Kawaihae and Puakō Small Boat Harbors when they encountered the vessel Law and Disorder III.

The vessel, upon inspection, revealed that its occupants, four local divers, had caught a total of 40 spiny lobsters, with 16 females and three carrying eggs, contravening the regulations that protect female lobsters to ensure the sustainability of the species, the officers citing the men on multiple counts related to these prohibitions. The divers now face charges including fishing for female lobsters and female lobsters with eggs, the State’s Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement (DOCARE) has specifically listed the counts and statutes allegedly violated in their official statement.

The four individuals—Jacob Lindsay, Taylor Thronas, Roger Hancock, and William Merle—are scheduled for a court appearance October 1, as the charges carry implications of criminal culpability; they must answer for the actions that run against the conservation efforts aimed at protecting marine life. Each of the men received citations for violations under Hawaii Administrative Rules (HAR) concerning the taking of female spiny lobsters, including separate citations for those taking females with eggs.

As a result of this intervention, all female lobsters, thankfully still alive. The residents will face their legal reckoning come that October morning in South Kohala District Court.