Keys Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Illegally Harvest Spiny Lobsters
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of the Law Enforcement, Sean Morton, Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), and David Pharo, Resident Agent in Charge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Miami, announced that Manuel Ravelo, Jr., 40, of Big Coppitt Key in the Florida Keys, pled guilty today in federal District Court in Key West to conspiring to illegally harvest spiny lobsters from artificial habitat placed in the FKNMS.
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Culinary Specialties, Inc., Walter Schoepf, and Karl Degiacomi Plead Guilty to Falsely Labeling Shrimp
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Southeast Division, announced that Walter Schoepf, 60, and Karl Degiacomi, 69, pled guilty yesterday to the offense of Lacey Act-False Labeling, in violation of Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(d)(2) and 3373(d)(3)(B). Also, Culinary Specialties, Inc., of Tampa, Florida, pled guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit violations of the Lacey Act and Food Drug and Cosmetics Act (FDCA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
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Two Keys Residents Sentenced for Illegal Harvest of Spiny Lobsters
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Sean Morton, Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), and David Pharo, Resident Agent in Charge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Miami, announced that Michael W. Kimbler, 44, and Michael Bland, 31, both of Big Coppitt Key in the Florida Keys, were sentenced today in federal District Court in Miami for conspiring to illegally harvest spiny lobsters from artificial habitat placed in the FKNMS.
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Coast Guard, Chinese officials interdict foreign vessel for illegal fishing
JUNEAU, Alaska — The Coast Guard 17th District transferred custody of the fishing vessel Da Cheng, a 177-foot fishing vessel seized 850 miles east of Tokyo, Japan in the North Pacific Ocean, for large-scale high seas drift net fishing, to two patrol vessels from the China Fishery Law Enforcement Command Tuesday.
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Oregon Man Convicted of Fishing Crime
Anchorage, Alaska -- U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that an Oregon man was convicted in federal court in Anchorage on Thursday, August 2, 2012, for two counts of falsely reporting where he caught fish pursuant to the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Cooper who prosecuted the case, Freddie Joe Hankins, 47, a resident of Cove Oregon, was convicted by a jury of two counts of falsely reporting which regulatory area in the Gulf of Alaska he caught his IFQ halibut...
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Anchorage Man Convicted of Falsely Advertising Alaska Native Made Products
Anchorage, Alaska – U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced that Edward R. Schlief, a resident of Anchorage, Alaska, was convicted and sentenced in federal court in Anchorage for falsely advertising seal skin bow hunting tabs as being made by Alaska Natives.
U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Burgess imposed a sentence of three years probation and a $7,500 fine on Schlief, 69.
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Casitas in Florida Keys Sanctuary Endanger Lobsters and Their Habitat
Casita—Spanish for “little house”—sounds like a nice, cozy shelter, that when placed in the seagrass beds of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, would be the perfect home for the spiny lobster (absent the picket fence). But this artificial habitat makes easy pickings for poachers to harvest thousands of lobsters a day, and it’s destroying the seagrass beds and hardbottom communities that lobsters, fish, and other marine life need to survive.
NOAA law enforcers have removed more than 2,000 of these illegal structures.
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NOAA Law Enforcement Fights Fraud
Seafood fraud, the illegal misrepresentation of species, country of origin, harvesting method, and/or weight of seafood, threatens to undermine the hard work of honest fishermen.
In addition to making consumers pay more for cheaper, less desirable species, fraud negatively affects consumer confidence in seafood, which further undercuts local fishermen’s profits. Seafood fraud also harms the U.S. economy as a whole because individuals who illegally import seafood often avoid paying tariffs.
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Eagle Saved from Drowning Thanks to NOAA Enforcement Officer
It was a matter of life and death for one bald eagle caught in a fast-rising tide in Alaska recently. But his story has a happy ending thanks to NOAA enforcement officer Noah Meisenheimer, who stepped in quickly to save the bird from drowning, pull it to safety, and warm it back up using his own jacket.
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NOAA seeks information on dead dolphin found off Dupont Point, Alabama,
Animal stabbed in head with screwdriver
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement and marine mammal experts received a report yesterday afternoon of a bottlenose dolphin with a screwdriver stuck in its head somewhere around the Florida-Alabama border in Perdido Bay. The animal was last seen alive late Thursday afternoon and reported dead earlier this afternoon just west of Dupont Point, Alabama.
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Palm Beach Resident Sentenced for Importing 1500 Pounds of Conch from the Bahamas
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Southeast Division, Major Jeff Hubert, Regional Commander, South A Region, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Noel Manheimer, Director of Marine Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced that Robert Fortunato, 55, of Palm Beach County, was sentenced yesterday on charges of illegally importing 1,500 pounds of conch into the United States from the Bahamas.
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SEAFOOD DEALERS AND FISHERMEN SENTENCED
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that sentences have been imposed upon the following defendants in a federal environmental crimes prosecution: Junior Wayne Harper, age 60, of Thomasville, GA, Byron James Puckett, age 42, of Cairo, GA, Charles Stacy Logue, age 40, of East Point, FL, and Ronald Irvin Burdette, age 47, of Moultrie, GA. The sentences were imposed by the Honorable Hugh Lawson, District Judge for the Middle District of Georgia, on May 31, in Valdosta, Georgia, following a two day sentencing hearing earlier this month. All defendants were sentenced to terms of three years probation and received fines as follows: Harper- $50,000; Puckett- $25,000; Logue - $5000; and Burdette - $5000.
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Florida Resident Imprisoned for Importing Endangered and Threatened Species from the Bahamas
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division, Major Jeff Hubert, Regional Commander, South A Region, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Randy Donnelson, Director of Air Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Vernon Foret, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District (USCG), announced that Glenn Bridges was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Donald L. Graham to six (6) months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised released, and 100 hours of community service for importing endangered and threatened species from the Bahamas.
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Fisherman Admits to False Filing with NOAA Special Master
BOSTON - A Connecticut man was convicted today in federal court of providing false
information to the United States Department of Commerce, specifically the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Special Master in order to obtain reimbursement for fines
he had previously paid.
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NOAA Enforcement Plays Key Role in Marine Mammal Protection
May 22: NOAA Fisheries and the Crime Museum open new exhibit "Crimes Against Marine Mammals," celebrating 40 years of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and highlighting Act violations, investigations, and protection measures.
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DOJ AND SEAFOOD IMPORTER REACH SETTLEMENT OVER 112 TONS OF ILLEGALLY IMPORTED RUSSIAN KING CRAB
Crab Seized Last Year at Port of Seattle Following Federal Investigation
The U.S. Department of Justice and Harbor Seafood, Inc. have entered into a consent judgment in a civil forfeiture action involving the seizure of some 112 tons of Russian King Crab that the U.S. government alleges was illegally imported. The crab was sold in July 2011 for approximately $2.5 million. Under the terms of the consent judgment, the U.S. government will forfeit and retain approximately $2.1 million of the proceeds and Harbor Seafood, Inc., a New York corporation, will receive $300,000 of the proceeds. In addition, the consent judgment will require Harbor Seafood, Inc. to undertake a compliance review and provide remedial training to its employees concerning the laws that govern the importation of seafood products.
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Keys Case Results in Jail Time for Lobstermen
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division, announced that Rush C. Maltz, 36, of the Saddle Bunch Keys, Florida and Titus A. Werner, 36, of Little Torch Key, Florida, were sentenced yesterday in Key West for conspiring to receive, purchase, sell, and transport lobster for distribution, in violation of federal and state licensing and catch limit laws, all in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
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Palm Beach County Resident Pleads Guilty to Importing Illegal Catch from the Bahamas
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Southeast Division, Major Jeff Hubert, Regional Commander, South A Region, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Randy Donnelson, Director of Air Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced that Robert Fortunato, 55, of Palm Beach County, pled guilty earlier today before U.S. District Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to one count of conspiracy, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 371, and one count of importing and attempting to import into the United States, fish and wildlife possessed and transported...
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GLOUCESTER MAN SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Boston - A Gloucester man was sentenced late Friday in federal court for sexually harassing a federal at-sea monitor.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Leo T. Sorokin sentenced John Cusick, 50, to two months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. He is not to contact the victim either directly, indirectly or by way of a third party, while on supervised release. Cusick was convicted of sexual harassment after a four-day jury trial in October 2011.
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Juneau restaurant fined for illegally purchasing subsistence caught Pacific Halibut
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement announced today that the owners of the Zen Restaurant in Juneau, Alaska, will pay a civil penalty of $18,000 over the next 12 months for illegally purchasing subsistence-harvested Pacific halibut in 2010, according to a settlement agreement signed on February 23.
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NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement reminds boaters to give whales their space
Influx of whales near Virginia Beach results in increasing human interaction
More than 50 separate whales have been spotted near Virginia Beach since December, as many as 20 in one day. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement reminds all those enjoying the water to observe whales from a safe distance of at least 100 feet, 500 yards for endangered North Atlantic right whales.
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Two Keys Residents Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Illegally Harvest Spiny Lobsters
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Sean Morton, Superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), and E. Matthew Bendele, Acting Resident Agent in Charge U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Miami, announced that Michael W. Kimbler, 44, and Michael Bland, 31, both of Big Coppitt Key in the Florida Keys, pled guilty today in federal District Court in Key West to conspiring to illegally harvest spiny lobsters from artificial habitat placed in the FKNMS.
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Florida Resident Pleads Guilty to Importing Endangered and Threatened Species from the Bahamas
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division, Major Jeff Hubert, Regional Commander, South A Region, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Kevin Sposetta, Director of Marine Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Vernon T. Foret, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District (USCG), announced that Glenn Bridges, 49, of Fort Pierce, pled guilty yesterday to Counts 1, 2 and 10 of an indictment, which counts charged him with conspiracy to possess and import wildlife, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; importation into the United States of wildlife possessed and transported in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, in violation of the Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(2)(A) and 3373(d)(1)(A); and making a false statement to the U.S. Coast Guard, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
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$10,000 FINE FOR COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN CONVICTED OF FELONY FISHING ACT VIOLATIONS
BOSTON - A North Stonington, CT, man was sentenced today in federal court for
trafficking in and making false records for 12,140 pounds of illegally-harvested Atlantic Striped
Bass.
Daniel B. Birkbeck, 47, was sentenced to serve one year of probation and pay a $10,000
fine. As part of his plea agreement, Birkbeck agreed to forfeit $5,000 in lieu of forfeiting the
boat and truck that he used to commit the fishery crimes.
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Ketchikan Man Sentenced For Illegal Trafficking of Seal Skin
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that a Ketchikan man was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to 5 years probation and a $1,000 fine on his conviction of illegally selling a seal skin.
On February 22, 2012, Lawrence Willard, 51, of Ketchikan, Alaska was sentenced by United States Magistrate Judge Deborah Smith.
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Two Tampa Residents and a Tampa-Based Company Charged with Conspiracy to Sell Mislabeled Shrimp
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Southeast Division, announce the indictment of Walter Schoepf, 59, Karl Degiacomi, 69, and Culinary Specialties, Inc., of Tampa, on charges of conspiracy to sell mislabeled shrimp, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371; false labeling of shrimp, in violation of 16 U.S.C. §§ 3372(d)(1), 3372(d)(2) and 3373(d)(A)(ii); and misbranding, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 331(a), 333(a)(2), 343(a)(1) and 343(b).
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Two Palm Beach County Men Charged for Importing Illegal Catch from the Bahamas
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Alysa D. Erichs, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), Miami Field Office, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), Southeast Division, Major Jeff Hubert, Regional Commander, South A Region, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and Randy Donnelson, Director of Air Operations for Miami Air and Marine Branch, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced that Robert Fortunato, 55, and Mark Kulbacky, 56, both of Palm Beach County, were arraigned today on an indictment, returned on Feb. 16, 2012, charging them with illegally importing and attempting to import conch from the Bahamas into the United States, in violation of the Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3371(a)(2)(A) and 3373(d)(1)(A); conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and making false statements, Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
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Virginia man sentenced, fined for trading more than $70,000 in sperm whale teeth
NOAA working to end market for illegal trafficking in endangered animal parts
A Virginia man convicted of trading in sperm whale teeth has been sentenced to one month in prison, 90 days’ home confinement, two years of supervised release, and a $40,000 fine. The conviction and sentence follows a complex, multi-region, multi-year investigation by NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement.
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FORMER FISHERIES AIDE SENTENCED TO FIVE MONTHS INCARCERATION FOR FISHERIES CRIMES
Anchorage, Alaska – United States Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that Arne Fuglvog was sentenced in federal court in Anchorage to five months incarceration on his conviction of falsely reporting the location where he caught fish as part of the individual fishing quota program in violation of the Federal Lacey Act. Fuglvog was also required to publish a public apology in the National Fisherman's magazine, pay a $50,000 fine and make a $100,000 community service payment that will fund grants to support fish habitat in the coastal areas of the Gulf of Alaska.
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CALIFORNIA SEAFOOD CORPORATION SENTENCED TO PAY $1 MILLION FOR FALSE LABELING OF SEAFOOD PRODUCTS
LOS ANGELES – Seafood Solutions Inc., a Torrance-based corporation, was sentenced today to pay $1 million in fines and community service payments for its role in the false labeling of frozen fish fillets.
The corporation was fined $700,000 and ordered to make a community service donation of $300,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The money is to be used to fund projects related to methodologies, databases and other research into the identification of marine organisms. In addition, the company was sentenced to three years of probation, was ordered to forfeit all remaining inventory of the falsely labeled fish and to develop and implement a corporate compliance plan.
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Rhode Island Fishing Boat Captain Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Two NOAA Monitors
BOSTON - A Rhode Island man, the captain of a commercial fishing vessel, pleaded guilty today in federal court to assaulting two women on board his ship near the waters of New Bedford.
Richard Wetherell, 61, Jamestown, R.I., pleaded guilty today before Chief Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein to charges of physical assault, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with the duties of two federal at-sea monitors. Sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2012. Wetherell faces up to six month in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release, and a fine of $100,000 on each of the counts.
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FLORIDA AND SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS CHARGED WITH IMPORTATION OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES FROM THE BAHAMAS
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division (NOAA), Major Jeff Hubert, Regional Commander, South A Region, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Randy Donnelson, Director of Air Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Miami Field Office, and, Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner, Commander, 7th Coast Guard District, announced today that Glenn Bridges, 49, of Fort Pierce, Gregory Johnson, 52, of Fort Pierce, and Sharon Vollmer, 23, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., surrendered on warrants issued as a result of their Indictment by a federal Grand Jury for conspiracy to possess and import wildlife, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371; importation into the United States of wildlife possessed and transported in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, in violation of the Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372(a)(2)(A) and 3373(d)(1)(A); and, importation of endangered and threatened wildlife, in violation of the Endangered Species Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 1538(a)(1)(A) and 1540(b)(1). Bridges was further charged with making a false statement to the U.S. Coast Guard, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
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FORMER FLORIDA CITY MAN SENTENCED FOR MAKING FALSE CLAIM ON BP CLAIMS FUND
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, John V. Gillies, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, and Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division, announced that Eliu Gonzalez, 37, a former resident of Florida City, Florida, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Miami after his conviction arising from a false claim he filed in connection with the Deepwater Horizon explosion and pollution incident in the Gulf of Mexico. Gonzalez previously entered a guilty plea to a charge of wire fraud in the submission of his fraudulent claim for more than $110,000 of lost income against the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.
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Three vessels charged with violating Right Whale ship strike reduction rule pay penalties
Speed restrictions in seasonal management areas reduce risk of death to endangered whales
Three large commercial vessels who were assessed civil penalties this fall for violating seasonal speed limits designed to protect one of the most endangered whale species in the world have paid their penalties in full. Cases against six other vessels for the same offense are still open.
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KEYS LOBSTER CASE RESULTS IN TWO ADDITIONAL GUILTY PLEAS AND SENTENCING
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division, announced that Rush C. Maltz, 36, of the Saddle Bunch Keys, and Titus A. Werner, 36, of Little Torch Key, both pled guilty yesterday in federal District Court in Key West on charges of having conspired to receive, purchase, sell, and transport quantities of lobster for distribution in interstate commerce, without complying with Florida law regarding commercial harvest requirements, licensing provisions, and bag and trip limits essential to the lawful harvest, possession, and sale of saltwater products, in violation of the Lacey Act, all in violation of the federal conspiracy statute, Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. In a subsequent proceeding also held yesterday, their co-defendant Scott A. Greager, 48, of Stock Island, Florida, was sentenced on the same charge.
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Seafood dealers and fishermen plead guilty
Michael J. Moore, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, announces that felony guilty pleas have been entered by the following defendants in a federal environmental crimes prosecution: Junior Wayne Harper, age 59, of Thomasville, GA, Byron James Puckett, age 42, of Cairo, GA, Charles Stacy Logue, age 40, of East Point, FL, and Ronald Irvin Burdette, age 47, of Moultrie, GA
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OREGON MAN INDICTED BY FEDERAL GRAND JURY FOR FISHING CRIMES
Anchorage, Alaska – Acting United States Attorney Kevin Feldis announced today that an Oregon man was indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage on six counts of fishing in one regulatory area and then falsely reporting the fish were caught in a different regulatory area.
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Commercial fishing operation charged with conspiracy to falsify records in connection with overharvesting of sea scallops off New Jersey coast
NEWARK, N.J. - A Maine seafood company, one of its owners, and four fisherman were
charged today in a conspiracy to falsify records and obstruct justice in connection with
overharvesting Atlantic Sea Scallops off the coast of New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman
announced.
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Legislation drafted by NOAA to protect U.S. fishermen from unfair competition
Bill would keep vessels with illegally caught seafood out of U.S. ports
A bill introduced in Congress yesterday would prevent pirate fishing vessels from entering U.S. ports to offload their illegally caught seafood. This pirate fishing is often called illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
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Genetic markers developed at VIMS help feds enforce seafood regulations
New discoveries in "marine forensics" by researchers at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science will allow federal seafood agents to genetically test blue marlin to quickly and accurately determine their ocean of origin.
The test is needed to ensure that the blue marlin sold in U.S. seafood markets were not taken from the Atlantic Ocean. The import and sale of blue marlin from the Pacific or Indian oceans is legal in the U.S., while the marketing of Atlantic blues can bring civil or criminal penalties, including fines, seizure of a catch, or the loss of a fishing permit. Regulation of Atlantic blue marlin reflects overfishing and a troubling drop in population within Atlantic waters.
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Sport fisherman pays fine for illegally taking, importing fish from Mexican waters
California recreational fisherman settles federal case for violation of the Lacey Act
A Southern California-based recreational fisherman who imported fish that he and a partner caught illegally in Mexican waters has paid a $1,000 fine assessed by NOAA’s Office of General Counsel’s Enforcement Section.
A $1,000 Notice of Violation and Assessment was issued to Shui Yan Cheng of La Puente, Calif., the owner and operator of the fishing vessel Adele, for violating the Lacey Act by importing 179 rockfish and sand dabs into the United States. Fishing regulations in Mexico limited Cheng and his fishing partner to just 10 fish each for their one-day fishing trip to fishing grounds near Coronado Island on July 3, 2010.
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A Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty in Federal Investigation of Illegal Striped Bass Charter Boat Fishing
NEWPORT NEWS, VA. – An Orange County woman today pleaded guilty in federal court to knowingly providing false information to federal and state investigators probing whether charter boats have been fishing illegally for striped bass in federal waters off Virginia’s coast.
As part of a plea agreement before a federal magistrate in Alexandria, Va., Julie Smoot Jennings, 49, of Locust Grove, agreed to pay a $1,000 fine, perform 100 hours of community service and be placed on supervised probation for a year.
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TAMPA COMPANY AND ITS PRESIDENT SENTENCED FOR MISLABELING OF SHRIMP
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Otha Easley, Acting Special Agent in Charge, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Office of Law Enforcement (OLE), announced yesterday’s sentencing of defendants Adrian Vela, 76, and Sea Food Center, LLC., both of Tampa, Florida, on charges that they conspired to mislabel shrimp. The two had previously pled guilty to a nine-count Criminal Information, which charged them with conspiring to violate the Lacey Act and the Food Drug and Cosmetics Act.
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NOAA seeks input on enforcement priorities
Public comment period on draft list of priorities open through January 9
Today, NOAA released a draft of its enforcement priorities and invited the public to submit comments through January 9. These enforcement priorities are the latest step NOAA is taking to improve its enforcement program, and will help the agency emphasize compliance through better communication with fishermen. Other improvements in the last two years include new leadership, higher-level review of charging decisions, and a new penalty policy to ensure more consistent penalties nationwide.
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NOAA assesses civil penalties to shrimpers for alleged Turtle Excluder Device violations
Devices, required by Endangered Species Act, help keep turtles from drowning in shrimp nets
The owners and operators of 18 shrimp trawlers were assessed civil penalties over the past two weeks for allegedly altering or not having turtle excluder devices on their vessels.
The Notices of Violation and Assessment (NOVAs), issued by NOAA’s Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation, are the latest result of NOAA’s enhanced enforcement of turtle excluder devices, due to a spike in sea turtle deaths. The devices, known as TEDs, keep endangered and threatened sea turtles from being caught and drowned in shrimping nets and are required under the Endangered Species Act.
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