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Noaa Fisheries Office For Law Enforcement News

13 Dec 2001

NOAA Wins First Prosecution Using Vessel Monitoring System

A December 5 ruling against a New Bedford, Mass., - based fishing vessel and its captain was the first federal fisheries prosecution based exclusively on vessel-tracking data gathered by the satellite-based Vessel Monitoring System, reported the National Marine Fisheries Service, an agency of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. U.S. Coast Guard Administrative Law Judge Edwin M. Bladen assessed a $250,000 fine and ordered the permanent revocation of the federal fishing permit of the fishing vessel Independence, owned by Lobsters, Inc., and the federal vessel operator permit of its captain, Lawrence M. Yacubian, for repeatedly entering an area closed to fishing.

14 Aug 2002

NOAA Agents Seize Illegal Bluefin Tuna

onboard a commercial scallop vessel in violation of regulations governing both size and number of fish. penalties between $1,000 and $40,000 and/or permit sanctions of between 10 and 30 days. On August 3, 2002, a Virginia Marine Patrol officer boarded the fishing vessel Kimberly and Kathryn, a commercial scallop vessel, to monitor an offload of scallops. While monitoring the offload, a large number of tuna were observed to be on board the vessel. identified as yellowfin tuna by the vessel skipper, John P. Jones, but were given a preliminary identification of bluefin tuna by a United States Coast Guard officer. assessment. NOAA Agent Steven Niemi positively identified the offloaded tuna as bluefin. two per vessel, with a minimum commercial size limit of 73 inches curved fork length.

26 Aug 2002

Coast Guard Intercepts Illegal Shark-Finning Vessel

Coast Guard Cutter Tybee arrived in San Diego, Ca. on Friday escorting the King Diamond II, a Honolulu-based, 82-ft. fishing vessel with 12 tons of prohibited shark fins onboard. A Coast Guard law enforcement detachment operating from a U.S. Navy ship boarded the King Diamond II approximately 350 miles southeast of Acapulco on the afternoon of August 13 and seized the vessel after discovering the illegal shark fins. The Coast Guard Cutter Chase arrived on scene on August 15 and took custody of the vessel, its crew and the catch. The Coast Guard law enforcement detachment returned to the Navy ship, which continued its patrol, and Chase began its escort of the King Diamond II toward San Diego.

01 Oct 2002

NOAA Fisheries Seize 80 Tons of Albacore

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) Office for Law Enforcement (OLE) special agents have seized 80 short tons of albacore tuna, worth over $141,000 , from a Cambodian-flagged longline fishing vessel, the Long Man Yun #66 in Pago Pago, American Samoa, for allegedly violating U.S. laws. of the Commerce Department. On August 1, the Long Man Yun #66 was observed within the U.S. on its deck. the vessel=s working deck. vessel arrived at dock on September 30. It is a violation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act for a foreign fishing vessel to fail to stow its fishing gear below deck when it is transiting U.S. waters.

18 Dec 2002

NOAA Fisheries Offer Reward for Shooting of Sea Lion

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) of the Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is offering a reward for information regarding an adult female California Sea Lion found Nov. 6 in Moro Bay, Calif. shot in the neck with a crossbow arrow. NOAA Fisheries enforcement officers are seeking information about the shooting incident, which is a violation of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) and will pay $1,000 for information that leads to a prosecution and conviction in this case. “It is illegal under the Marine Mammal Protection Act to harass or feed marine mammals in the wild,” said Special Agent Roy Torres, NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement - Southwest Division.

09 May 2003

Fisherman Fined for Violating Magnuson

A Florida fisherman was fined by an administrative law judge Tuesday, for illegal fishing within a secured area 120 miles south of Panama City, Fla. The violation occurred Dec. 17, 2002, when the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Stingray, homeported in Mobile, Ala., stopped and boarded the fishing vessel, The Shadow, for allegedly illegally fishing within the Madison-Swanson closed area. Jerry Eugene Key, operator of The Shadow, set approximately 2.5 miles of longline gear to harvest reef fish within the closed area. Any person found fishing for any species of fish in this area, other than highly migratory species, is in violation of the Reef Fish Management Plan…