AUGUSTA — The commissioner of the Maine Department of Marine Resources announced Tuesday the agency has suspended the lobster licenses of two men for removing the eggs from female lobsters. The violation is a Class D crime that, in addition to license suspension, is punishable by up to a year in jail and fines in excess of $1,000.
The lobster fishing licenses of Philip Poland, 42, of Cushing and Dexter Bray Jr., 36, of Stonington have been suspended for six years as a result of separate investigations conducted earlier this year by Maine Marine Patrol, according to a media release.
The Poland investigation, led by Marine Patrol Officer Brandon Bezio, resulted in charges of removing eggs from three female lobsters in his possession. Poland faces up to a year in prison and fines up to $1,900 in addition to his license suspension.
