U.S. Coast Guard
- First District (Boston, MA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2003

Coast Guard and NOAA seize scallops

The Coast Guard and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement seized the catch of a New Bedford, Mass.-based fishing vessel today.

The fishing vessel Nelson was detected in the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area using the Vessel Monitoring System (VMS), which tracks the location of scallop vessels in New England.

The crew of the Portsmouth, N.H.-based Coast Guard Cutter Reliance boarded the fishing vessel Nelson 50 miles southeast of Nantucket at 6:30 a.m. and found 16,150 pounds of scallops on board.

After consultation with NOAA, the Nelson's catch was seized. Unshucked scallops still on the deck of the boat were released into the ocean.

The Reliance is currently escorting the Nelson into New Bedford.

Once in port, NOAA will assume the lead in the investigation. The catch will be sold at auction and the proceeds held in escrow pending final disposition of the case.

As the Coast Guard continues to support Operation Liberty Shield and the Department of Homeland Security, the service continues to perform our missions, specifically our at-sea enforcement arm for domestic fisheries protection off the New England Coast, through careful management of our resources and continued close cooperation with Federal, State, and local agencies.