A person who shall carelessly, willfully or wantonly destroy, mutilate, break, remove or interfere with any buoy, beacon, channel pole, marking or other device fixed and established in any navigable water in this state and under the control of the laws of this state, by means of physical force or by running into the same carelessly, willfully or wantonly while operating a ship or boat of any description, or in any other manner avoidable, shall be liable to a penalty of fifty dollars to be recovered in the manner provided by article 6 of chapter 7 of this title (s. 12:7-24 et seq.).
N.J.S. § 12:4-2