Alleged lobster poacher arrested

A Costa Mesa man was arrested Friday evening by Crystal Cove State

Park officials on suspicion of poaching lobsters.

At about 6:30 p.m., park officers spotted three men on an unmarked

16-foot boat, pulling up lobster traps offshore near Crystal Cove’s

historic cottages, park Supt. Ken Kramer said. Licensed lobster

fishermen are required to display their license numbers prominently

on their boats.

After watching from the bluff, officers then boarded the boat as

it entered Newport Harbor and arrested Ryan James Hughes, 21, the

boat’s owner, Kramer said. On board they found seven lobster, four of

which were under the legal size limit.

Hughes was charged with unlawful possession of lobster, tampering

with a lobster trap, fishing without a license and possession of

undersized lobster, Kramer said.

“The commercial fleet routinely reports these types of violations

or their suspicions of these violations,” Kramer said. “The problem

is, it’s very difficult to catch people in the act.”

Hughes was cited and released at the Sheriff’s Harbor Patrol

office, and the lobster were photographed for evidence and released

back into the ocean.