Police in the Florida Keys have arrested a second suspect in connection with a break-in at an aquarium that led to the death of a large tarpon. The incident occurred at Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters last May, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Security camera footage from 25 May showed two men entering the facility just before 3 a.m. and fishing unlawfully in the private lagoon. The pair reportedly caught a tarpon measuring an estimated 55 inches and held it out of the water for roughly five minutes to pose for photos before returning it to the water. Aquarium staff found the fish dead the next morning.
The suspects were identified as Derrick Lee Vivian, 25, of Fort Myers, and Christopher Jeffrey Smith, 20, of Marathon. Vivian was arrested on 5 November, while Smith was booked into jail on Wednesday. Both are being held on $27,000 bond, according to online court records.
The men have been charged with burglary and illegally removing a tarpon greater than 40 inches from the water. The latter is a misdemeanour punishable for a first-time offence by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The sheriff’s office told The Independent that no tests for intoxication were conducted as the suspects were identified and arrested after the incident.
Tarpon are primarily a catch-and-release sport fish, not typically eaten due to their tough, bony meat. Conservationists have noted a significant decline in tarpon populations over the past 50 years.
