ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — A St. Pete hotel owner has been accused of conspiring with a bar owner to scatter thousands of mothballs on the beach in order to stop a threatened bird species from nesting by their property.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission held a press conference Wednesday to announce the two arrests in the investigation, which began in April and, according to officials, drew “a lot of public outcry.”
Robert Czyszczon, the owner of Plaza Beach Hotel, and Christopher Monroe, the manager of a bar on the property, were both taken into custody on charges of commercial littering for purpose of economic gain and harassing a protected species, according to the FWC.
Christopher Monroe (left) and Robert Czyszczon (right) (Credit: Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office)
The FWC said investigators found “incriminating text messages” between Czyszczon and Monroe showing they disliked the birds, found them bad for business, and planned to use the mothballs to deter them from nesting.
Officials read a few of the text messages to reporters, with one stating, “They’re the worst birds. And then the bird people will put up a fence around the area, and then the beach people will not be able to get to and from because they will fence around that space.”
Another text read, “Why didn’t you tell me we lose $25,000 to $50,000,” in reference to the birds being on the beach, according to the FWC.
Investigators said, on April 20, there were over 1,000 mothballs found scattered on the beach behind the Plaza Beach Hotel. Officers and volunteers removed them, and the next day, another 500 mothballs appeared in the same location.
Phone records placed Czyszczon and Monroe on the beach both nights, and detectives said they also found Walmart receipts showing they had purchased a large quantity of mothballs before the items appeared on the beach.
Mothballs present a danger to wildlife and beachgoers, as the fumes from the items can be toxic. Mothballs can also be poisonous if consumed by animals. The items are meant to be used indoors to safeguard belongings, not to repel wildlife.
The black skimmers that were nesting in the area are a protected species in Florida. According to the FWC, there are only about 6,800 of the species in the entire state, and several hundred nest in Pinellas County. Officials said pushing them off a particular site could have serious detrimental effects.
“What that harassment is doing is delaying their ability to establish that nesting colony, which pushes the date that their young can fledge from the nest further back in the season,” an FWC spokesperson said. “So then you run into potential larger storms at the end of hurricane season that can wipe out a colony if those young birds haven’t fledged yet.”
8 On Your Side caught up with Czyszczon after he bonded out of jail Wednesday night, at which point he said, “I did not do it and I’m innocent. Simple as that.”
St. Pete Beach Mayor Scott Tate provided 8 On Your side with the following statement regarding the arrests:
“As a community, we are shocked and deeply disappointed by the situation and the arrests. As Mayor, I fully support the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and our law enforcement partners in their efforts to ensure that our environment, our wildlife, and everyone who enjoys our shoreline are protected. Our beaches are among our community’s most treasured assets, and we remain committed to preserving them for residents and visitors alike.”
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