Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) officers cited a group of individuals for multiple violations related to illegal crabbing on a pier in Mukilteo late last month, according to a report from WDFW Police.
The officers released the illegally harvested crabs back into the water.
WDFW Officer Fonte and Sergeant Kim contacted the group after observing them harvesting crab late in the evening.
One individual was observed moving crabs back to their vehicle.
An inspection revealed 62 Dungeness crabs (3 female, 1 soft shell, 57 undersized, and 1 legal male), along with 2 undersized red rock crabs and 3 kelp crabs.
Among the four individuals involved, only one possessed a valid shellfish license. The subjects were cited for multiple violations.