MARATHON, Fla. – James Platt, owner of the Marathon Crab and Lobster Company, has lived in the Florida Keys his entire life.

He is one of many commercial fishermen who make their living catching lobster and other delicacies from the ocean.

“I have a couple of kids myself, everyone on my crew has two, three, four...one of them has six kids,” says Platt. "So there are a lot of people who depend on this ship and this business to put food on the table."

But on September 4, around 6 p.m., the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said an undercover officer saw a man and a woman on a personal watercraft in the area of East Bahia Honda, near Marathon, ripping out eight of Platt's traps and stealing the lobster inside.

Most of the lobsters were undersized, according to the FWC.

Yenier Rojas and Claudia Beatriz Rojas Fernández were each charged with felony trapping abuse, possession of 23 undersized lobsters, exceeding the lobster bag limit, and possession of three stone crab claws outside seasonal.

“These guys are here to poach,” said Officer Robert Dube.

Dube said his agency frequently arrests people for crimes such as theft of commercial traps and poaching of undersized or out-of-season marine species.

“They're taking money from commercial lobstermen trying to make a living, and it's a very hard life,” he said.

Industry experts say that poaching is not only an economic loss for fishermen, but that catching undersized lobsters and females can deprive the ecosystem of future generations.

Monroe County State's Attorney Dennis Ward says his office aggressively pursues fishing and marine cases and imposes harsh penalties on convicted offenders.

“We've put people in jail,” Ward said. “There are 1,600 families that depend on lobster and bait fish and stone crabs. And the people who come here and steal their traps and even come to catch undersized lobsters and stone crabs, we're asking for jail terms.”

Platt said he found out his traps had been stolen when FWC agents came knocking on his door the next day, and he is grateful that arrests were made.

“We know this happens, and to be honest, it's something we deal with on a fairly regular basis,” he said.

Ward encourages anyone with information on marine crime to call the FWC.