NOAA Fisheries
Office for Law Enforcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 26, 2004
CONTACT: |
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Mark Oswell
(301) 427-2300
Charles Juliand
(978) 281-9379
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THREE FISHING VESSELS PENALIZED $85,000 FOR ILLEGAL CATCH
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued
Notices of Violation and Assessment (NOVA), with penalties ranging
between $10,000 and $50,000 to three fishing vessels (FVs), for
violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management
Act (MSFCMA). The NOVAs issued on October 12, 2004 cited each vessel
for landing and possessing northeast multispecies in violation
of federal fisheries regulations promulgated under the MSFCMA.
NOAA is an agency of the Department of Commerce.
On or about Aug. 10, 2004, Law Enforcement Officers from the Maine
Marine Patrol boarded a commercial fishing boat and found unlawfully
landed and possessed northeast multispecies caught by means of
pair trawling near Rockland, Maine. NOAA issued a $50,000 NOVA
to the owner.
On or about Aug. 10, 2004, officers from the NOAA Fisheries Office
for Law Enforcement and the Maine Marine Patrol boarded a commercial
fishing boat in Portland, Maine. They found unlawfully landed and
possessed northeast multispecies harvested by mid-water trawl gear
in violation of the vessel’s mid-water trawl exemption certificate.
NOAA issued a $25,000 NOVA to the owner and operator of the boat.
On or about July 16 and 17, 2004, personnel from the NOAA Fisheries
Office for Law Enforcement, Massachusetts Environmental Police
and US Coast Guard boarded a commercial fishing boat and found
unlawfully landed and possessed northeast multispecies caught by
means of pair trawling near Gloucester, MA. NOAA issued a $10,000
NOVA to the owner and operator.
While fishing for herring, these vessels unlawfully landed and
possessed various amounts of northeast multispecies, including
haddock and hake. Herring vessels are prohibited from possessing
and landing any amount of northeast multispecies.
“Because these cases were being so closely watched by both
the
herring and groundfish industries, we asked NOAA General Counsel
to
expedite their review of our investigations,” said Special
Agent-in-Charge Andy Cohen, Office for Law Enforcement – Northeast
Division.
NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving
our nation’s
living marine resources through scientific research, management,
law enforcement, and the conservation of marine mammals and other
protected marine species and their habitat.
The Commerce Department’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) is dedicated to enhancing economic security
and national safety through the predication and research of weather
and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship
of our nation’s coastal and marine resources.
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