Sushihunter
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NOAA charges IFQ violators USD 259K
UNITED STATES
Monday, July 06, 2009, 16:50 (GMT + 9)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of General Counsel brought charges of over USD 18,000 in penalties and USD 241,000 worth of sanctions against the vessel owners, permit holders and a hired master of the Trident, an Alaskan fishing vessel. These individuals had falsely reported where the vessel had fished during five trips in 2006 and 2007.
The Alaskan division of NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA OLE) conducted an investigation into the matter after detecting the violations.
A hired master and permit holders on the Trident reported they had fished halibut and sablefish in areas remote enough that the governing individual fishing quota (IFQ) programme did not apply, when they had really fished in areas that fall under the programme’s jurisdiction.
“These violations affect not only the management of Alaska’s well-managed halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries, they are also unfair to the fishermen who abide by the rules and fish in the correct areas,” said assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Ken Hansen of the Alaska division of NOAA OLE.
Tri Fish Limited Liability Corporation and the Trident’s owners and permit holders have agreed to pay USD 10,000 as penalty for the false reports. The settlement agreement also suspends the 2010 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands sablefish IFQ of the vessel owner and permit holder Michael Lang, and the 2010 Aleutian Islands sablefish IFQ of vessel owner and permit holder Barry McKee.
The two men are also denied the chance to hire skippers to fish their IFQ shares for them in 2010; Lang and McKee will have to remain on their vessels when their quota is fished.
In a separate case, IFQ permit holder Richard Swartz was also charged for false reporting. For the violations, Swartz paid a penalty of USD 8,265 and will have 2,000 lb of his Western Gulf sablefish IFQ suspended for a year.
Permit sanctions against IFQ and quota shares prohibit the harvest of the sanctioned pounds for the fishing year. Their prices were estimated based on current halibut and sablefish prices.
A separate, third settlement bars vessel operator Kenneth Spjut from being a fishing boat captain on the US Pacific coast for five years. He was the captain and hired master on some of the five falsely recorded trips.
Related articles:
- NOAA uncovers illegal bluefin tuna operation
- High incidental catches trip up pollock, cod seasons
By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
NOAA charges IFQ violators USD 259K
UNITED STATES
Monday, July 06, 2009, 16:50 (GMT + 9)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of General Counsel brought charges of over USD 18,000 in penalties and USD 241,000 worth of sanctions against the vessel owners, permit holders and a hired master of the Trident, an Alaskan fishing vessel. These individuals had falsely reported where the vessel had fished during five trips in 2006 and 2007.
The Alaskan division of NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement (NOAA OLE) conducted an investigation into the matter after detecting the violations.
A hired master and permit holders on the Trident reported they had fished halibut and sablefish in areas remote enough that the governing individual fishing quota (IFQ) programme did not apply, when they had really fished in areas that fall under the programme’s jurisdiction.
“These violations affect not only the management of Alaska’s well-managed halibut and sablefish IFQ fisheries, they are also unfair to the fishermen who abide by the rules and fish in the correct areas,” said assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Ken Hansen of the Alaska division of NOAA OLE.
Tri Fish Limited Liability Corporation and the Trident’s owners and permit holders have agreed to pay USD 10,000 as penalty for the false reports. The settlement agreement also suspends the 2010 Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands sablefish IFQ of the vessel owner and permit holder Michael Lang, and the 2010 Aleutian Islands sablefish IFQ of vessel owner and permit holder Barry McKee.
The two men are also denied the chance to hire skippers to fish their IFQ shares for them in 2010; Lang and McKee will have to remain on their vessels when their quota is fished.
In a separate case, IFQ permit holder Richard Swartz was also charged for false reporting. For the violations, Swartz paid a penalty of USD 8,265 and will have 2,000 lb of his Western Gulf sablefish IFQ suspended for a year.
Permit sanctions against IFQ and quota shares prohibit the harvest of the sanctioned pounds for the fishing year. Their prices were estimated based on current halibut and sablefish prices.
A separate, third settlement bars vessel operator Kenneth Spjut from being a fishing boat captain on the US Pacific coast for five years. He was the captain and hired master on some of the five falsely recorded trips.
Related articles:
- NOAA uncovers illegal bluefin tuna operation
- High incidental catches trip up pollock, cod seasons
By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
