On April 15, a Cut Off man found himself entangled in legal trouble, accused of harvesting his profits from the sea in ways not his own. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited Mark Savoie, 48, on charges of theft of crab trap contents in Lafourche Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries recent report.
The investigation that led to the citation began with a tip-off about someone tending to crab traps that belonged to another in the Pointe-aux-Chenes area. Upon investigating, enforcement agents claimed to have gathered evidence indicating that Savoie was indeed the individual who had been unlawfully meddling with crab traps not his own, as reported by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
The implications of such an act are no small matter in the coastal communities where livelihoods are as intertwined with the water as the mangroves that anchor the swamplands. The penalty for the theft of crab trap contents can range from a $400 to $950 fine, and may include up to 120 days behind bars, as detailed by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Lt. Gerald Sander, Senior Agent Troy Autin, and Senior Agent Cody Salpietra have worked hard to protect honest fishers in Louisiana.
