Delaware is teaming with 39 other states to target poachers, and other wildlife lawbreakers.
Governor Jack Markell signed a bill into law Monday afternoon authorizing Delaware to join the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. The law enables the state to recognize the suspension of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses in member states. The compact includes Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
Bill co-sponsor State Representative Trey Paradee (D-29th District) says the law gives DNREC access to license suspensions in the those other states to identify repeat offenders.
“Poachers and some of these professional outfitters violate the law in one state and once they’re kicked out of one state they just move on to another state," said Paradee. "And, so unfortunately [until now], Delaware was a safehaven for people who had already broken laws in other states.”
Paradee adds the compact works as a deterrent, preventing those convicted of egregious wildlife and fisheries crimes from repeating the same offenses in the First State.
“This is good for the wildlife because one of the problems is, with some of these outlaws, they’re taking too much of the game, they’re going beyond the limits set by law of how many ducks you can take in a day or how many deer you can take in a season and that’s not good for wildlife when people are breaking the law that way,” said Paradee.
DNREC will be responsible for gathering and sharing information about offenders through an interstate electronic database. Paradee says he expects DNREC to be participating in the compact in the next few months.
The General Assembly approved the bill in June with no opposition in either the House or Senate.
