A boat owner was arrested during the week of Nov. 17 after Rhode Island Environmental Police Officers intercepted three Massachusetts men in Newport with 67 undersized fish, according to the state Department of Environmental Management.

The men were in possession of 48 tautog, 47 of them undersized; and 21 black sea bass, 20 of them undersized, the DEM said in a Facebook post. They also failed to produce valid saltwater fishing licenses, according to the DEM.

"The total catch was seized, and luckily, officers were able to return many of the fish to the water," the DEM said in a Facebook post.

The boat owner will be charged in District Court and was issued citations for boating safety violations, according to the DEM.

The DEM advises anyone who witnesses suspected poaching or unsafe a

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