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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 3, 2005

NOAA ISSUES $81,700 NOVA FOR VIOLATION OF ROCKFISH CONSERVATION AREA REGULATIONS

On October 20, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued Dennis Sturgell and Fierce Contender, Inc. with an $81,700 Notice of Violation and Assessment (NOVA) for multiple violations of the Rockfish Conservation Area (RCA) regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. NOAA is an agency of the Department of Commerce.

"From May through August 2003, we documented multiple violations of the regulations governing the West Coast groundfish fishery, said Special Agent Hans Brubaker, NOAA Fisheries Service’s Office for Law Enforcement (OLE) – Northwest Division. “Sturgell was charged with two counts of illegal fishing inside the Rockfish Conservation Area while engaged in the limited entry sablefish fishery. He was also charged with exceeding sablefish and rockfish trip limits, retaining prohibited species, and failing to maintain required reports."

The Rockfish Conservation Areas prohibit commercial fishing in an enclosed area to protect over-fished species.

An inspection of the FV Royal Quarry by the OLE discovered illegal catch and fishing records that were used to establish the violations.

“The establishment of the Rockfish Conservation Areas was difficult for all fishermen in the groundfish fishery, but was necessary to allow for continued fishing during the recovery of overfished stocks,” continued Brubaker. “Part of our role is to ensure that the conservation measures followed by the majority of lawful fishermen are not jeopardized by illegal fishing on the part of a few.”

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

NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to protecting and preserving our nation’s living marine resources and their habitats through scientific research, management and enforcement. NOAA Fisheries Service provides effective stewardship of these resources for the benefit of the nation, supporting coastal communities that depend upon them, and helping to provide safe and healthy seafood to consumers and recreational opportunities for the American public.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and 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 nearly 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.