Six individuals were arrested in Palm Beach County for harvesting saw palmetto berries without a permit and removing them from J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area.
According to the most recent official Flordia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) weekly law enforcement report, the arrests were made when officers were watching the area after noticing a pattern of early morning entries by the suspects.
They saw the group loading 18 bags of berries into a truck. The officers stopped the truck as the group tried to leave and confiscated 2,559 pounds of berries. The driver also received citations for not having a driver’s license and driving without headlights.
Saw palmetto berries are subject to legal restrictions in Florida primarily to protect the environment and ensure sustainable harvesting practices. Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens) is a small palm native to the southeastern United States, and its berries are used in various herbal remedies and supplements.