Old man and the illegal sea lobster
An elderly fisherman of Southside Belize City who Fisheries Authorities claim was found in possession of over two thousand pounds of lobster tails was arraigned in court this morning. Seventy-eight year old Ishmael Lewellyn Moody, a resident of the corner Heart and Tibruce Street was charged with a single count of Possession of Lobster during the Closed Season. Allegations are that last Friday, Moody was busted with two thousand and fifty-one lobster tails at his residence. In court, Moody, who was unrepresented, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart. For the possession of lobster during the closed season, Moody can be fined a maximum of five hundred dollars but can also be ordered to pay between twenty and thirty dollars per lobster tail upon conviction which would mean that he can be fined up to sixty-one thousand dollars. Fisheries Officer, Eric Arzu, was tipped that Moody has carrying the lobster tails in a garbage bag and when a search was conducted, the lobster were found. Moody, a first time offender, is to reappear in court on July third.
We already know the outcome. He will be charged perhaps the maximum of 500 OR suddenly no proper documentation will be available to tie him to the lobsters!
Give the old man a chance, is his first time, if he go to jail he will die he is almost 80yrs old, maybe he had some helper lets go for those one
The same employees them will be the damn ones to enjoy with there families,i bet if it was some big time high class person that wouldn’t make the news THIS DAMN COUNTRY SUCKS!!!!!!!
I have no sympathy for the poacher, no matter his age. This was a big operation, and it deserves big punishment.
Permanent damage to fisheries can be done by poachers like this, there is a reason we have seasons to fish and seasons not to fish. We need to be smart in managing our resources, or there will be none left for our children.
The man should have made a deal with “Honorable” John Saldivar, an amnesty in return for half the profits.
A crime is a crime…but it is so sad to see that this man will be dealt with accordingly while the bigger crooks such as Hernandez, Vega, Martinez etc. etc. get away with stealing more than a bag of lobster tails. Sad, sad, sad 🙁 Foolish government and foolish Belizeans for standing for such atrocities!
I don’t care his age. He is a greedy SOB that ruins the fishery for everyone else