A Message from KING of Key West

"Outlook is not bright for amoral trap poacher"

"What with the stone crab season coming on, I was compelled to write about a person I know.

He is a person without conscience. He functions in ordinary society, has a light and friendly manner, but genuinely is without conscience. You see, he plunders the island.

He steals from others' lobster and crab traps. He takes out of season, above limit and beneath size. He imagines these to be victimless crimes, blissfully unaware of the damage it inflicts upon the ethics and morale, as well as the morals (by providing customers with ill-gained hauls), of those around him. Like I said, he is completely without conscience.

He is not so young a man as to behave this way, with complete disregard for the rules, standards and agreements of our island society. He is truly pleased with himself. He is lost.

I guess he is safe from harm — from having a lobster or crab farmer (or two or three) beat him terribly and leave him for dead — because he is clueless. And if the authorities caught him pilfering traps — that is, stealing — or found him with far too many, too-young tails or claws, maybe the company of cellmates would alleviate his misery and complaints from his lacking a girlfriend.

And since it is certainly headed in those directions, I suppose I no longer have to worry about this situation. So, good diving, friend!"

Mike Mongo

KING of Key West