One of incoming harbormaster Bill Chace's new policies paid early dividends Wednesday evening when town and state officials coordinated to apprehend five out-of-state men who brought five coolers of illegal fish into Westport Harbor, leading to some $51,000 in state fines.

Chace, who was appointed by the select board earlier this month and doesn't technically start until early next month, said one of his goals is to assist state environmental police officers whenever they need help. Usually, EPOs drive to the state boat ramp and watch out for trouble — people bringing in shorts, safety violations and the like. But every once in a while they need to go out on the water, and usually that requires calling environmental police in New Bedford and requesting a boat.

Going forward, “if they need a boat ride somewhere, we’re going to take them," Chace said.

Wednesday evening, one of Chace’s newly appointed assistant harbormasters, Kevin Carter, brought state EPO Brendan Quinn out to the Knubble area and, afterwards, dropped him back off at the state boat ramp. EPO Quinn got in his vehicle and left for the evening.

Meanwhile, Carter brought the town boat back to the harbormaster’s dock and, after tying off, saw five men floating adrift in a 25-foot center console, just off the harbormaster’s shack. When he asked what was going on, the men said they were out of gas. Carter started looking for a can but something didn't sit right and he called Quinn, who was then a few miles away. The state officer turned around and went back to the boat ramp just as the men were pulling their boat out of the water.

“As it turns out they had five coolers full of shorts," Chace said. "Black seabass, tautog, scup” and also dogfish, according to a photo taken after the apprehension. "I think they were trying to hide from the EPOs."

As Carter and Quinn dealt with the situation, an additional EPO came down to assist, and Westport police were called in as backup.

"They had shorts," assistant harbormaster Rick Smith said. "Nobody had permits. Nobody had a license. Anything that hit the hook,  they took."

The five men — four from Maryland and one from Pennsylvania — were issued $51,000 in civil fines. There was no word on whether the vessel or their fishing gear was seized; EPO Quinn could not be reached for comment Thursday morning.