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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2006

NOAA's Office of General Counsel for Enforcement and Litigation has issued a $30,000 civil penalty to James Hahn, the owner and operator of the fishing vessel, Relax for violations of the Atlantic Tuna Convention Act.

The alleged violations occurred on October 3, 2005 when five Atlantic bluefin tuna were landed aboard the FV Relax , violating the charter headboat daily catch limit of one tuna. The Relax was operating off Long Island , N.Y. , in the Hudson Canyon area. Upon return to the dock in Oakdale , N.Y. , police with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation boarded the vessel and discovered the five tuna.

Hahn also failed to maintain four of the tuna with the tail and at least one pectoral fin intact to allow for proper measurement, as required by law.

The New York officers seized the fish and later donated them to the Long Island Cares food bank. NOAA Fisheries Service Office for Law Enforcement conducted a follow-up investigation.

“Joint federal-state enforcement partnerships put more eyes on the water, allowing us to closely monitor recreational and commercial fishing activities,” said NOAA Special Agent James Cassin, Jr. “NOAA and our state enforcement partners take fishing violations seriously, and we'll continue our work to curtail the illegal harvesting of fish.”

The owner/ operator has 30 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge.

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, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects. 

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