Rock Hall Men Facing Poaching Charges

he Maryland Department of Natural Resources says eight Rock Hall men are facing rockfish poaching charges. DNR officials say the eight are the first to face a new, tiered penalty system for first-time and repeat offenders. State officials say 43-year-old William Howard Beck and 43-year-old John Franklin Rigg were charged with violating oyster harvesting regulations in December that led to the suspension of Beck’s oyster license. DNR officials say Natural Resources Police also seized 55 illegally anchored gill nets and 3,200 pounds of rockfish during the last week and a half of February. Commercial fishermen are not allowed to anchor gill nets, but must remain nearby to reduce the loss of other species of fish and birds that become entangled.