Seven people are facing charges after the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said it recovered over 10,000 pounds of illegally harvested saw palmetto berries in western Palm Beach County.
FWC said the recovery was made between Aug. 14 and Aug. 29 from the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area, which is a protected area. They said they arrested seven people on charges that include seven felonies, nine misdemeanors and eight noncriminal citations.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services requires a permit to harvest and sell saw palmetto berries in Florida. Saw palmettos are also a habitat and food source for more than 200 wildlife species, according to FWC.
For many years, trespassing and theft of saw palmetto berries have been a late summer issue in Florida, FWC said, as the berries typically ripen from August to October.
The berries are promoted as a dietary supplement and used to treat a variety of diseases and disorders.
The Endangered Plant Advisory Council unanimously recommended adding saw palmetto to the commercially exploited plant list and FWC said the agency takes this violation seriously. For information regarding saw palmetto berries and the laws surrounding them, click here.
This story was originally published by Aja Dorsainvil at Scripps News West Palm Beach.
