CALVERT COUNTY - On Monday, March 19, two men were found guilty of various fishing violations in Calvert County District Court. Charges were filed by the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) in December of 2006.
Joe Kenneth Ruark Jr., 41, of Fishing Creek was found guilty on two counts of having pound net poles that were broken, unsound, or liable to go adrift. Ruark was charged at two different net sites located off of Calvert County in the Chesapeake Bay. He received a $100 fine for each site.
Edmond Leon Lewis, 44, of Hurlock pleaded guilty to having pound net poles that were broken, unsound, or liable to go adrift at a net site off of Little Cove Point. He was fined $400.
A pound net is a visible stationary commercial fishing gear type used for the live entrapment of fish species. It is constructed by an arrangement of fiber netting supported upon a series of stakes or poles.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police is the enforcement arm of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). With an authorized strength of 280 officers and a dedicated staff of civilian and volunteer personnel, the NRP provide a variety of services in addition to conservation and boating law enforcement duties throughout the State of Maryland. These services include homeland security, search and rescue, emergency medical services, education, information and communications services on a round the clock basis. NRP is the only police force aside from the Maryland State Police that has statewide jurisdiction.