Guam Department of Agriculture Conservation Officers arrested a 60-year-old man in connection with a turtle poaching case at the Agat Marina earlier this month. The arrest followed a marine patrol operation on October 3, when officers received a report of suspected poaching activity along the island’s southern coast.
Upon arrival, Conservation Officers and Civilian Volunteer Reservists apprehended one male individual and found an injured green sea turtle that had been speared. Officers also confiscated a homemade kayak canoe and fishing equipment at the scene. The turtle was immediately turned over to Fisheries Biologists with the Division of Aquatic and Wildlife Resources for medical treatment and protection.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement was notified due to potential violations of the federal Endangered Species Act. The arrested individual, identified as Frank Benjamin Camp, 60, of Hagat, was charged under Guam law for taking a threatened or endangered species, as well as for possession and transportation of the animal in violation of local conservation regulations.
The Department of Agriculture emphasized its ongoing commitment to enforcing wildlife protection laws and safeguarding Guam’s marine and coastal ecosystems. “Conservation Officers patrol Guam’s coastal and Marine Preserve Areas to protect fish habitats and natural resources for everyone,” the agency stated.
