June 24, 2014 — The federal government this week will begin the largest removal of illegal lobster fishing habitats, commonly called casitas, from Florida Keys waters.
Starting Thursday, marine salvors contracted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be removing casitas that were once placed and used by commercial lobster diver David Dreifort, who pleaded guilty to poaching charges in 2009 and served about two years in prison.
Dreifort had nearly 700 illegal casitas in waters between Big Pine Key and Key West, according to his plea agreement with federal prosecutors.
Crews working for the national marine salvage company Tetra Tech and the Keys-based Adventure Environmental plan to remove casitas from roughly 300 sites, according Sean Meehan, NOAA marine habitat restoration specialist, who is overseeing the operation. More than half of the 300 sites have multiple casitas on them, Meehan said.
The removal will cost roughly $566,000 and is being funded with revenue from the sale of two of Dreifort's homes in the Florida Keys.
Officials from NOAA have put a $1.2 million price tag on Dreifort's casita case. That figure includes estimates of the environmental damage, and the cost of removing the casitas.
Prosecutors reached a deal with Dreifort in which he would sell the two homes and the proceeds would be used to cover removal costs, Meehan said.
Read the full story from the Key West Citizen