A Boothbay Harbor area lobsterman has been charged with removing lobsters from traps owned by other lobstermen, the Maine Marine Patrol said.
Charles “Stevie” Hodgdon, 30, the fisherman, and his stern man, Brandon Cookson, 20, were both charged with trap molesting, according to Sgt. Rene Cloutier.
They are scheduled to face charges in Lincoln County courts in December.
The offense is a civil matter. However, if convicted, Hodgdon faces a mandatory loss of his lobster license for three years. Cookson would also be barred from working as a stern man for three years too, Cloutier said.
Hodgdon fishes out of Boothbay Harbor on the lobster boat “Amy Gale,” Cloutier said.
Marine patrol officers have received a number of complaints from Boothbay lobstermen who felt their traps had been raided.
“While we don’t want to reveal the way we investigate these type of complaints, lobstermen come to us when they believe someone is taking lobsters from their gear,” said Lt. Jon Cornish. “Sometimes lobstermen know their trap has been emptied by another when they find the trap’s door open, or they had put a special seal on the door and find out it has been broken.”
“Sometimes a fisherman will pull a string of traps up and find lots of lobsters in them. Then, when he pulls a string of nearby traps and finds out they are empty, he gets suspicious,” Cornish said.
“The lobstermen know when their gear is molested,” he added.
“Hodgdon and Cookson were interviewed by patrol officers prior to their being charged. We feel we have enough evidence to proceed,” said Cornish.
The marine patrol has investigated a number of complaints of trap molesting this summer in addition to complaints that some fishermen were cutting the lines of others in the Damariscotta River and other coastal locations.
In addition, marine patrol officers have investigated a nearly fatal shooting incident triggered by a turf dispute between lobstermen on Matinicus Island.
