Dozens Of Boaters Get Warnings On Barnegat Bay

Dozens of boaters on Barnegat Bay got warnings from authorities Saturday as part of a campaign to educate people about safety and environmental rules on the fragile waterway.

The state Department of Environmental Protection, State Police, Park Police and other agencies were involved in the program. They took to the water and pulled over boats and personal watercraft that were either too close to the shoreline, where they could damage natural habitat for fish and birds; going too fast in a no-wake zone, or for other infractions.

Rick Arroyo, director of the New Jersey State Park Police, says the goal is to teach people at this point, not punish them.

In the first two hours of the patrols, 28 warnings were handed out. The patrols will continue throughout the summer.

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