CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Federal fisheries officials confiscated 488 red snapper, 152 vermilion snapper, one Warsaw grouper and one gag grouper from a 30-foot Southport recreational vessel on Easter Eve in Freeport.

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By David Sikes of the Caller-Times

Federal agents on Easter Eve confiscated nearly 500 illegally caught red snapper on what appeared to be a recreational vessel in Freeport Harbor.

Three suspected poachers were aboard the 30-foot Southport center console boat, along with five 120-quart ice chests containing 488 red snapper weighing 1,690 pounds, 152 vermilion snapper, one gag grouper and a Warsaw grouper, according to Manny Antonaras, a special agent with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The total weight of the haul was nearly 2,000 pounds, valued at $9,000 on the commercial market. Federal agents sold the fish so they would not go to waste.

"This is certainly one of the largest recreational red snapper seizures we've seen in over a decade in the Gulf of Mexico," Antonaras said. "The quantity of fish makes it unusual."

The bust occurred about 10:30 p.m. Saturday, when U.S. Coast Guard officers boarded and searched the boat. The officers notified game wardens with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, who called federal fisheries enforcement agents, Antonaras said.

Red snapper season is closed in federal waters, which is outside nine nautical miles off the Texas coast. Catching the popular pink fish within state waters is legal year round.

This opens the door for what could be mistaken as recreational poaching, according to Shane Cantrell, executive director of the Charter Fisherman's Association, who believes this regulatory loophole is hampering the recovery of gulf's population of red snapper, an overfished and highly regulated species.

"Incidents like these by private recreational fishermen highlight the failures of private angler leadership, not a failure in management of the fishery," Cantrell said. "Rather than doing their jobs and developing solutions to overfishing, state resource agencies are forcing anglers into civil disobedience. This punishes all of us."

On Tuesday, federal agents continued questioning the suspected poachers and gathering information, which could result in either criminal charges or civil restitution. Antonaras said they know the fish were caught in federal waters, but declined to say how they know this. Vermilion snapper currently are not off limits in state or federal waters, but the daily limit is 20 per person. Gag grouper is out of season, while Warsaw grouper is not.

Antonaras said generally in cases such as this the poachers have made arrangements with a buyer who has agreed to purchase the illegal catch. Illegal fish are sold on the black market to restaurants, dealers or online, he said.

Names and cities of residence of the suspects are being withheld pending the investigation. No arrests were made or charges filed as of Tuesday.

Twitter: @davidoutdoors