Suffolk County, NY - July 27, 2016 - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) enforce the 71 Chapters of NY Environmental Conservation Law, protecting fish and wildlife and preserving environmental quality across New York.
In 2015, the 268 ECOs based across the state responded to 25,000 calls and issued 22,000 tickets for crimes ranging from deer poaching to corporate toxic dumping to illegal mining, black market pet trade and excessive emissions violations.
"From Montauk Point to Mount Marcy, from Brooklyn to Buffalo, the ECOs who patrol our state are the first line of defense in protecting New York's environment and our natural resources, ensuring that they exist for future generations of New Yorkers," said Commissioner Basil Seggos. "They labor through long and arduous hours, often deep in our remote wildernesses or in the tight confines of our urban landscapes, and without much public fanfare. But their work centers around the most important things we do at the DEC."
Recent missions carried out by ECOs include:
Illegal Shark Parts - Suffolk County
On July 6, ECOs Jeff Hull, Kevin Holzle and Ron Gross performed fish market inspections throughout the towns of Smithtown and Islip. They were finishing up their day when one of the officers observed a large styrofoam container with shellfish stacked on top. Inspection of the container led to the discovery of a thresher shark tail, a mako shark tail and multiple shark fins. The owner was quick to make excuses for why he had the shark fins in his shop. He was issued a summons for Illegal Possession of Shark Fins without the Carcass.
ECOs counting the illegal scallop catch. Photo Credit: NYS DEC.
Joint Enforcement For Sea Scallops - Suffolk County
On July 6, ECOs Jordan Doroski and Landon Simmons were patrolling the fish docks at Shinnecock Inlet from an unmarked vehicle. As the Officers watched vessels returning to the inlet, a commercial sea scallop boat caught their attention when four crew members climbed onto the cabin roof and appeared to be looking closely around the area. The ECOs also observed a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot, occupied by a middle aged man on his cell phone. Officers have encountered "scouts" being used in the Shinnecock Inlet area in the past to alert fishing vessels with illegal harvests to the presence of law enforcement. ECOs Doroski and Simmons determined that particular boat would be appropriate to be inspected for compliance with federal sea scallop regulations. The ECOs met the vessel at the dock. The captain agreed to offload the entire catch while the ECOs called National Marine Fisheries Service Special Agent Todd Smith to assist in counting the catch. The total catch was 109 bushels of whole sea scallops and one small bag of sea scallop meat, putting the vessel more than 35 bushels over federal regulation limits. The case was turned over to Special Agent Smith for further investigation and enforcement.
If you witness an environmental crime or believe a violation of environmental law occurred please call the DEC Division of Law Enforcement hotline at 1-844-DEC-ECOS (1-844-332-3267).