Two men were busted for illegally harvesting oysters
Two fishermen from Islip have been charged with illegally harvesting oyters from the Nissequogue River.
The NYS Department of Conservation said that one if the fishermen, Gary Beaulieu, 44, had already been disciplined for a prior violation and was banned from applying for a shellfish permit for five years.
Nissequogue has been off limits to shellfishing for more than three decades. The DEC says that high levels of bacteria in the waters could infect the shellfish and cause sickness in people who might eat them. DEC officers saw the men taking the oysters during an enforcement patrol of the area. Raphael Urbina, 26, and Beaulieu were taking the oysters on Dec. 23. Urbina is licensed by NYS for shellfishing, according to the DEC.
Both men were charged with taking shellfish from uncertified waters and possession of undersized oysters, which can carry a fine of up to $1,000 and/or a year in jail. Urbina is facing charges of failing to maintain a log book and shellfish records while Beaulieu is charged with harvesting shellfish without a permit.
