Department of Commerce
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
- Office of Law Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2008

New Jersey fishing captain settles lobster case with NOAA

NOAA has settled a case with a New Jersey lobsterman charged with fishing with untagged lobster traps, which violates the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act.

Captain Stephen S. Celeste Jr. of the Miss A.M. has agreed to pay a civil penalty in excess of $68,000, under the settlement completed on March 10, 2008.

On June 16, 2006, New Jersey Conservation Officers conducted an undercover operation targeting lobster fishermen who were fishing with untagged lobster traps. Lobstermen are allotted a certain number of tags for their traps. A lobster trap must be tagged in order to be legal. This management tool helps maintain a sustainable fishery and prevent overfishing. The use of untagged traps can deplete lobster stocks and is an unfair competitive advantage for those lobstermen that fish more than the legal number of pots.

Upon further investigation by NOAA Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement Special Agents, Celeste was found to be in violation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act. NOAA’s Office of General Counsel for Enforcement & Litigation subsequently charged him with multiple counts including; fishing with untagged traps, failing to immediately respond to instructions from authorized officers, and interfering with an investigation.

To report fisheries violations contact the NOAA Fisheries Service’s Office of Law Enforcement Hot Line at 800-853-1964.