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Department of Commerce FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOAA PENALIZES SARASOTA FISHERMEN FOR SHARK FINNING AND OTHER FEDERAL FISHING VIOLATIONS NOAA has issued a $106,500 civil penalty and 200-day permit sanction to the owner and operator of the fishing vessel Southern Cross for numerous violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. Following surveillance operations, a NOAA Fisheries Service special agent, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer and a Sarasota Sheriff's Office deputy boarded the vessel dockside in Nokomis , Fla. , on April 29, 2006 . As members of the enforcement boarding team approached the Southern Cross , one crew member began to throw fish overboard and persisted after being directed to stop. After enforcement officers managed to stop the crew member from throwing fish overboard, they continued to monitor as the vessel's crew offloaded the day's catch. When Captain Mark Tarlowski told the boarding team the offload was complete, NOAA Special Agent Manny Antonaras continued his investigation and discovered 336 shark fins and a basket of fish fillets concealed in the fish hold. “These severe violations undermine the goals of fisheries management and the long-term sustainability of shark populations,” said Special Agent Antonaras. “Tough penalties should serve as a deterrent for anyone who considers violating the shark finning ban for financial gain." The Notice of Violation Assessment and Notice of Permit Sanction issued to the Southern Cross owner, Dixie Cross, Inc., and operator Mark Tarlowski list multiple counts of violating the Magnuson-Stevens Act related to shark finning, possession of undersized red grouper and impeding the investigation. The owner and operator have 30 days to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. 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 : |
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