Department of Commerce
NOAA Fisheries
Office for Law Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 13, 2002

PETER PAN SEAFOODS, INC. RECEIVES $40,000 PENALTY FOR HARASSMENT OF NOAA FISHERIES OBSERVER

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Peter Pan Seafoods, Inc. have settled a case of observer harassment. NOAA's Office of General Counsel in Juneau had charged Peter Pan, Inc. with harassment of a National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) federal fisheries observer at Peter Pan's plant in King Cove, Alaska. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department.

In the settlement of the civil administrative enforcement action, Peter Pan has accepted a penalty of $40,000. $25,000 of that penalty will be suspended and discharged at the end of three years provided that Peter Pan has not violated the regulation prohibiting harassment of federal fisheries observers.

"Peter Pan's officers and plant manager were very cooperative in the investigation and expressed a strong interest in ensuring that Peter Pan's plant employees do not engage in harassing behavior," said NOAA lawyer Susan Auer. "As part of the settlement agreement, Peter Pan has agreed to increase training of its plant employees and to arrange for production of a training video addressing sexual harassment in the fish processing plant environment. When completed, that video will be made available to other interested persons and companies. Peter Pan has also asserted a renewed commitment to anti-harassment principles. We are hoping that this case will send the right message to shore-side processors and vessels that are monitored by NOAA Fisheries-certified observers."

Law enforcement was first alerted to the problem in April of 2000.

According to NOAA Fisheries' regulation, it is unlawful to harass an observer by conduct that has sexual connotations, or that has the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.

"The regulations are designed to provide observers with a work environment free from any type of harassment which could jeopardize their ability to collect fisheries data deemed essential to managing the fishery," said NOAA Fisheries Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Kevin Heck. "Protecting observers is one of the highest enforcement priorities for the Alaska Enforcement Division, and any type of harassment against observers will be aggressively pursued."

NOAA Fisheries-certified groundfish observers provide real-time data for effective conservation and management of Alaska's federal fishery resources.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) is an agency of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency conducts scientific research and provides services and products to support fisheries management, fisheries development, trade and industry assistance, enforcement, and protected species and habitat conservation programs.