ISLAMORADA, Fla. – Two Homestead men were issued citations for fish that were illegally caught because they were deemed undersized by Monroe County Sheriff's Marine deputies.
Upper Keys Marine Deputy Nelson Sanchez was on routine patrol at 9 a.m. Saturday when he noticed several people fishing under the Tea Table Bridge.
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The area was closed but Sanchez saw several cars in a no-parking zone.
Sanchez approached two men in the area and requested he inspect a cooler, which he found contained two mutton snapper — one 12.25 inches and another 13.5 inches. The minimum size for mutton snapper is 18 inches.
Eldis Emanuel Reyes Figueredo, 21, and Hector Martin Costa Betancourt, 51, both of Homestead, received citations to appear in court.
The fish were donated to the Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center in Tavernier as food for rescued birds.
For more information about fishing regulations, go to www.myfwc.com