Tag Archives: Fishery Violation
‘Wicked Tuna’: T.J. Ott Pays 5-Figure Fine for Illegal Act
Back on Dec. 7, 2022, the Massachusetts Environmental Police revealed that its officers began investigating the illegal sale of bluefin tuna, a federally regulated species in October 2021. During the investigation, they discovered that bluefin tuna was being sold at a Gloucester fish market, and a captain faced criminal charges. In November 2022, the captain reached a plea deal with the state and paid $13,000 in fines for the illegal sale of the fish. Although the post didn’t mention Ott, the Gloucester Daily Times later reported that he was the captain involved. >click to read< 07:57
Amaltal skipper to plead guilty for fishing in marine reserve
On 4 March 2020, in the Nelson District Court, the skipper of the Amaltal Mariner intimated a guilty plea to one charge under the Marine Reserves Act 1971 for an incident that occurred in March 2019. The vessel started a tow outside the Hikurangi Marine Reserve, off the Kaikōura coast and then accidentally crossed the line into the reserve. During the brief time the net was in the reserve $213 worth of fish was caught. No benthic organisms were recorded as being caught in the tow. more, >click to read< 11:11
Longtime lobbyist accused of fishing over the line
A fishing industry lobbyist has had his 41-ton salmon catch confiscated for allegedly fishing in closed waters near Sitka. Bob Thorstenson Jr., a former executive director of Southeast Alaska Seiners Association, was commercial fishing Sunday in Crawfish Inlet when wildlife troopers say he came within 200 yards of a stream. Alaska Department of Fish and Game area biologist Eric Coonradt told CoastAlaska that drought conditions have made the native pink salmon especially vulnerable near freshwater streams. >click to read< 21:41
Crabbers face fines – Equipment seizure leads to pending charges on numerous violations
Fishery officers have seized more than 300 commercial crab traps in the Powell River area around Savary Island and Harwood Island. Since the beginning of January 2018, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) officers in Powell River have been conducting an investigation of two commercial crab vessels.,, Charges are expected to be filed in May on numerous counts in violation of the Fisheries Act, according to fishery officer Matt Conley. Owners of the boats face serious fines for failing to comply with conditions of their licenses, he said. >click to read<20:43
Scallop boat skipper and owner fined for breaching Isle of Man fisher regulations
A Kirkcudbright scallop boat skipper and its owner have been fined for breaching Isle of Man fishery regulations. Anthony True was caught fishing for king scallops in the 21-metre Kingfisher within three nautical miles of the island without a permit. Manx rules only allow vessels of 15 metres or less to fish for scallops inside the three-mile limit. Mr True and owner John King, of West Coast Sea Products Ltd, pleaded guilty when they appeared before the Deputy High Bailiff in Douglas. >click to read<19:39
Crackdown Uncovers 340 Pounds Of Fluke Hidden On Fishing Boat
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Officers caught fishermen hiding fluke on their vessel, the DEC said. On Aug. 13, ECOs Chris Amato, Tim Fay, and Kait Grady patrolled Montauk Point for commercial fishing activity; when they checked a boat coming into Inlet Seafood after a six-day fishing trip, they found that the vessel crew had hidden 340 pounds of overage fluke in the fish hold behind empty boxes, the DEC said. The crew had also hidden a finned thresher shark, black sea bass, out of season, and several pounds of filleted fluke, black sea bas, and striped bass, the DEC said. click here to read the story 08:53
Sussex waterman nabbed for mutiple crabbing violations – cops a plea
Delaware Division of Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police arrested a Sussex County man May 19 for multiple commercial crabbing violations on the Inland Bays, officials announced in a release. John L. Fabryka, 53, of Ocean View, was charged with one count of unlawful commercial crabbing in a non-commercial area, 10 counts of tending more than two recreational crab pots, 10 counts of improperly marked recreational crab pots and six counts of failure to tend recreational crab pots at least once within required 72-hour timeframe, according to the release. Read the rest here 11:07
Burnt twice: Digby County halibut fishermen handed $45,000 in penalties
An illegal offload of halibut ended up costing three Digby County fishermen more than $45,000 in fines and lost revenue. Chris Titus, Peter Titus and Trevor Frost pled guilty April 5 to offloading halibut without an observer, failure to weigh the fish on a proper scale and offloading prior to haling in. Fisheries officers observed the illegal offload on Brier Island on June 10, 2015 and stopped a truck in Yarmouth carrying 712 pounds of halibut. The officers seized that halibut and the truck and another 182 pounds aboard the fishing vessel. Fisheries sold the fish for $7,129. The fishermen paid a $12,000 bond to get the truck back and the judge imposed a $14,000 fine. But the Fundy Fixed Gear Council (FFGC) also imposed sanctions,,, Read the rest here 10:13
Red Snapper Fisherman Charged with Illegal Gear in State Waters
Enforcement agents cited Seven P. Rhoto, 37, for using bandit gear in state waters. Bandit gear is allowed to be used in federal waters and is normally used by federally permitted reef fish holders, but is illegal in Louisiana water. Agents observed a vessel using bandit gear fishing for red snapper near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish. Upon inspection of the vessel, agents found Rhoto in possession of 1,088 pounds of red snapper, 44 pounds of lane snapper and 17 pounds of white trout. Read the rest here 12:45
Feds charge father, son with Alaska halibut fishing conspiracy
Charles Petticrew Sr. has been charged with a single count of conspiracy for falsifying individual fishing quota (IFQ) records for more than three years, according to federal charges filed Tuesday in Juneau. Petticrew and his family worked together “to submit false locations for the statistical areas where halibut were caught on federal IFQ forms, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Longline Fishery Logbook entries and halibut tickets,” the charges say. In all, Petticrew and his son allegedly faked records relating to about 4,000 pounds of halibut,,, Read the rest here 21:32
Fisheries board member cited for violating fishery closure
A member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries was cited by wildlife troopers in the commercial fishing hotbed of Dillingham last week for continuing to fish in an area after it had been closed. Frederick “Fritz” Johnson was fishing for salmon using a drift gillnet with Gust McCarr, his fishing partner of six years, when he was cited. The two men thought fishing closed at 6:30 p.m., when the actual closure happened at 6 p.m., Johnson told Alaska Dispatch News on Monday. They noticed an Alaska Wildlife Troopers plane circling overhead shortly after 6. Read the rest here 08:06
SAFETY FIRST! Southampton commercial fisherman charged with exceeding state fluke limits
A Southampton commercial fisherman charged last week with exceeding state fluke limits by 630 pounds had informed authorities of his need to return to port because of bad weather, and will fight the charges, his lawyer said Wednesday. Bill Reed, who owns two commercial fishing boats at the Shinnecock Commercial Dock in Hampton Bays, said he encountered bad weather during a Jan. 6 fluke fishing trip 50 miles from the Long Island, and made a decision to return home. Read the rest here 20:18
