The Department of Environmental Conservation announced this afternoon that it would not be ticketing anglers for taking pictures of out-of-season or endangered fish they catch.
The statement contradicts the recent DEC fishing guide and a position stated earlier this month by the state agency.
“The DEC does not ticket anglers for taking pictures of fish,” said Lori Severino, a DEC spokesperson, in an email to syracuse.com this afternoon. She said she wished to “clarify” the DEC’s position on the issue.
Earlier this month, Severino said taking a picture of an out-of-season fish that was caught by an angler was a “ticketable offense” that can result in a ticket from an environmental conservation officer. The fine could be up to $250, and/or 15 days in jail, she said.
She noted then that the “new” regulation, published on page 52 of the DEC’s fishing guide, was in response to the increasing trend of anglers catching out-of-season fish and posting pictures of their catches on Facebook and other social media.