Department of Commerce
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA Fisheries Service
- Office for Law Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2006

NOAA PENALIZES NEW JERSEY FISHERMEN FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING LOBSTERS AND GEAR

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation recently issued a $160,000 civil penalty and 180-day permit sanction to John Van Salisbury of Brick Township, N.J., owner and operator of the fishing vessel Major Expense.

The Notice of Violation Assessment and Notice of Permit Sanction were the result of a September 2004 boarding in Point Pleasant, N.J. by a NOAA Fisheries Service Office for Law Enforcement special agent, working with assistance from New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation Officers and New Jersey State Police Troopers.

An investigation of reported lobster gear tampering off the New Jersey coast led special agents to uniquely identify several lobsters and put them in traps. When that string of traps disappeared, investigators tracked the movements of the lobsters and linked the missing traps to the Major Expense.

The vessel was boarded by law enforcement officials from NOAA Fisheries Service, New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife Conservation and New Jersey State Police when it docked at Point Pleasant, N.J. Evidence aboard the fishing vessel led law enforcement to allege that Van Salisbury tampered with another fisherman’s lobster gear and then stole the catch.

Van Salisbury and crewman Christopher R. Loughrey were each charged with two violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

“Office for Law Enforcement Special Agents and New Jersey Conservation Officers are continuing operations to prevent theft of lobsters and lobster gear, as well as prevent violence at sea related to these actions,” said Special Agent Jeff Ray, OLE – Northeast Division.

The owner and operator of the Major Expense has 30 days from receiving the assessment and sanction to request a hearing in front of an Administrative Law Judge to contest the charges.

Law enforcement will officials continue to take actions to resolve conflicts between lobstermen.

To report illegal fishing activities contact the NOAA Fisheries Service’s Enforcement Hot Line at 800-853-1964.

In 2007 NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and service to the nation. Starting with the establishment of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. The agency is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and more than 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.

On the Web:
NOAA Fisheries Service Office for Law Enforcement: www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ole
NOAA Fisheries Service: www.nmfs.noaa.gov
NOAA: www.noaa.gov