A Connecticut man was found guilty after a trial of operating a charter vessel without a permit and illegal possession of a species of protected fish, according to the Suffolk County district attorney’s office.
The fish charge that Michael Tenedine, 58, of East Haven, was found guilty of is that of illegal possession of Black Sea Bass for poaching and possessing Black Sea Bass, according to the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.
“We have a duty to protect Suffolk County’s vital ecosystems from disrespect and ruin,” Tierney said in a statement. “My Everblue Initiative will ensure that future generations will enjoy boating, swimming, fishing, and exploring all that this county has to offer. This conviction is the latest example of what happens to those who selfishly seek to profit off of our natural heritage.”
The statement by Tierney’s office said the evidence at trial found that “in June 2024, Tenedine captained the Connecticut-based charter vessel ‘Lucky Hook’ from Connecticut into New York with a group of customer-fares on board.”
The “Everblue Initiative” is a collaboration “with state and local law enforcement to protect the more than 60% of Suffolk County square mileage that is water,” according to the statement by Tierney’s office
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation police found Tenedine circling in New York waters in the Long Island Sound near Mattituck, according to the statement.
“The DEC determined that Tenedine was operating a charter vessel without a New York license, and, at the time of their boarding, was found to be in the unlawful possession of 30 Black Sea Bass during a closed season,” the district attorney’s statement said. “As a result of extensive overfishing, the possession of Black Sea Bass is prohibited by law during certain times of the year to ensure the survival of the species.”
Tierney said Tenedine was convicted on Nov. 13, after a bench trial before Southold Town Justice Court Judge Eileen Powers.
The district attorney noted that the charges are violations under the New York Environmental Conservation Law and that Tenedine was sentenced to “maximum fines and surcharges totaling over $3,250, which will go directly into the state’s conservation fund.”
The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jeremy Williams of the Biological, Environmental, and Animal Safety Team, with investigative assistance from members of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, according to the statement.
