Gulf Of Mexico Reef Fish Fishery Management Plan News

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…