Run Poachers Run!

Run Poachers Run!

Buck Island Reef National Monument 

Greetings! My name is Connor Caruso from cohort 7. This summer I have the opportunity to go on an internship in the US Virgin Islands. For the next ten weeks, I will be spending time with various divisions at Christiansted National Historic Site (CHRI) in St. Croix.

While a majority of my time this summer will be spent in or around Christiansted, the NPS also oversees Buck Island Reef National Monument. The 176 acre island is a short 1.5 mile boat ride away from St. Croix and includes over 19,000 acres of submerged land. The reef surrounding the island is home to a host of aquatic species, including the endangered leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles. For this reason, all extractive activities are banned in the protected reef. Ensuring the protection of the reef is a central role performed by the law enforcement division at CHRI. Regular boat patrols ensure that illegal fishing and anchoring are kept at bay.

On Saturday morning, Ranger Laurencin received a tip that there was a fishing vessel off the west coast of Buck Island. After receiving a picture of the suspected fishing vessel, Ranger Laurencin and I made our way down to the marina and prepared to launch "Justice" the LE boat. Within 20 minutes of receiving the tip, we were on our way to Buck Island to investigate.

Ranger Laurencin navigating towards Buck Island in search of poachers

As we approached the island, we scanned the water for fishing vessels. Within minutes, we spotted a potential fishing vessel off the west side of the island. Once identified, Ranger Laurencin navigated towards the suspected fishing vessel in order to ascertain whether any illegal activities were taking place. As we approached the vessel from a few hundred yards out, I switched on the boats emergency lights to indicate to the captain and the second crew member that they were being stopped. Almost instantly, the small vessel's engine started and the boat began racing away from our position. At this point, Ranger Laurencin and I were confident that we had intercepted a poacher. While pursuing the vessel, we reached speeds close to 50 mph. The small vessel turned back and forth in an apparent attempt to allude the chase. Although the small vessel was more maneuverable than the LE boat, we had speed on our side. Racing towards the small vessel, I initiated the sirens to clearly indicate that the captain needed to stop. However, the small vessel only increased in speed as an attempt was made to flee.

The small vessel weaved back and forth and entered into dangerous waters where jagged sections of reef halted our pursuit. We slowed our vessel and kept a vigilant eye on the poachers. Over the course of the next half hour, we sat idle and watched as the suspected poachers headed towards the shore of St. Croix. We witnessed one of the occupants exit the vessel and remove supplies from the boat. During this time, Ranger Laurencin contacted Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) to request backup. Unwilling to give up, Ranger Laurencin and I patiently waited for the vessel to head back into open water. After a short period of time, we witnessed the vessel leave the shore and speed off. The vessel was traveling towards the east end of the island and hugging the coast. Although we were now well outside of our jurisdiction, the chase ensued. I learned that we have the authority to pursue suspected poachers as long as the initial contact occurs within the boundaries of the protected reef.

Boundary around Buck Island

The chase continued for another 15 minutes as we traveled towards the easternmost point of the island. At this point, the waves had increased in size and it became unsafe to pursue the suspected poachers any further. Calling off our pursuit, Ranger Laurencin was confident that we would be able to intercept the suspected poachers on land. We made our way back to the marina to tie up the boat and continue the investigation on shore. 

Ranger Laurencin's patrol vehicle

Once on shore, we transitioned to Ranger Laurencin's patrol vehicle and made our way to a local boat launch where we suspected the vessel might go. When we arrived at the boat launch, we saw a truck and trailer that likely belonged to the occupants within the vessel. However, the pursuit chased the vessel far from the boat launch we were currently at, and we believed they may have docked somewhere else. Going off of a hunch, Ranger Laurencin and I made our way to another boat launch closer to where we had chased the suspected poachers. 

As we arrived at the second boat launch, I scanned the area in search of the vessel that fled. Before we could even stop the vehicle, Ranger Laurencin noticed the vessel flee from the dock into open water. At this point, the small vessel was low on fuel and had nowhere to run. We decided to continue the investigation and wait out the suspected poacher. Prior to making contact with the captain of the vessel, Ranger Laurencin requested backup from VIPD. We waited for a few minutes until two VIPD units arrived on scene.

VIPD backup arrives on scene

Once backup arrived, Ranger Laurencin attempted to make contact with the captain of the vessel. At this point, the vessel was a few hundred yards in the water. Ranger Laurencin tried to convince the captain of the vessel to return to shore and speak with him. Unwilling, the captain of the vessel remained a few hundred yards off shore. Unable to make contact with the vessel, we had two options-either wait it out or give up. Ranger Laurencin and I agreed that we would stick it out and continue the investigation. For the next hour and a half, we waited for the vessel to return to shore. We were hoping that the captain of the vessel would eventually give up and decide to talk.

After giving the captain the option to return to shore and receive a more lenient punishment, the vessel slowly came towards shore. Once the vessel was close enough, Ranger Laurencin began tactically questioning the man. He provided evidence demonstrating that the vessel was illegally fishing in restricted waters and questioned the captain. Following a brief conversation, I assisted Ranger Laurencin in issuing two citations. The captain of the vessel was given two citations under section 7.73 of the code of federal regulations for fishing. One for illegal fishing (36 CFR S.7.73 E1) and another for possession of fishing equipment in a restricted area (36 CFR S.7.73 E2). The suspect was issued both citations and given a mandatory court appearance. 

The investigation lasted close to four hours from start to finish. Although we weren't able to apprehend the vessel in the water, the perseverance and determination demonstrated by Ranger Laurencin resulted in a successful investigation. I look forward to assisting with similar investigations over the summer and providing a statement when the case goes to court.