Riverside County Man Cited For Poaching Lobsters At OC Marine Sanctuary

LAGUNA BEACH (CBS) — A Southland man is among the first violators caught in a crackdown on lobster poaching along beaches in Orange County.

KNX 1070's Mike Landa reports Marbel Para was caught poaching dozens of spiny lobsters at the newly-opened Laguna Beach State Marine Reserve.

Para, 30, of Romoland, was diving off Heisler Park in Laguna Beach after midnight and was caught with 47 lobsters, said California Fish and Game Assistant Chief Paul Hamdorf.

The legal limit in the state is seven per diver.

Hamdorf said in addition to the violation, most of the poached crustaceans were undersized:

"Size limits are set up so that the lobsters have a chance to reproduce," he said. "Taking large numbers of undersized lobsters has a negative effect on the entire population."

The purpose of the recent crackdown is to catch people who choose to intentionally abuse the resources of the state for their own benefit, Hamdorf added.