"Moore, the captain of a charter boat, and Tanner Mansell, a crew member, noticed what they viewed as an illegal fishing line 3 miles off the coast of Florida in 2020. The duo freed the sharks and a giant grouper and ended up reporting the line to wildlife authorities.
Officials said the line was owned by a fisherman licensed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to research the sharks. Moore and Mansell were charged with property theft and were convicted in 2022."
Perhaps it might be wise to tag such lines as being for authorised research instead of heavy handedly clapping people in irons and charging them for what appears to be a case of justifiable civil duty.
That was my first thought too. At least they didn’t get any prison sentences. But if I had to choose between a couple weeks in jail or losing my ability to travel internationally for work & fun due to felony convictions, I’d go with the jail time.
That was SOP when I encountered research moorings and sampling devices diving in Washington state waters. There usually was a project sponsor, contact information, and a permit number (if applicable) that was conspicuous and legible.
I guess bad things happen to good people when Florida Man becomes a FED.
