USCG LMR Enforcement Report January-March 2013

January-March 2013 Case Highlights

Total number of LMR boardings:

(JAN: 30, FEB: 17, MAR: TBD)

• On 16JAN CGC REEF SHARK discovered a charter boat operator fishing in the Hind Bank Marine Conservation District South of STT with 2 skipjack tunas onboard. The master believed the area was open to pelagic species. The BO issued the master a fishing violations, and the master voluntarily abandoned the catch.

  • On 17JAN and 18JAN, CGC KEY LARGO, CG Auxiliary Air Patrol,

and a STA San Juan small boat conducted Operation Bottom Fisher patrolling in vicinity of the Red Hind Aggregation areas west of PR. 07 LMR boardings were completed..

• On 26JAN, an Aux Air Patrol flight reported to the Coast Guard Command Center that several F/Vs were operating in close proximity to the Tourmaline Bank. CGC MATINICUS arrived to the scene and intercepted a F/V within the EEZ in the Tourmaline Bank w/ 145 deshelled queen conch with an expired commercial Puerto Rico fishing license. The boarding officer issued the master fishing violations. DNRA seized the conch and issued a state violation for commercial fishing without an current license.

• On 05MAR, a Coast Guard small boat boarded a vessel near Cieba, PR to conduct a safety inspection. The master had onboard approximately 150 lbs of snapper species. The Coast Guard notified the local DNRA office and escorted the vessel back to the pier. DRNA located 27 undersized yellowtail snapper, seized the catch, and issued the master a fishing violation.

January-March 2013 Case Highlights

USCG LMR Enforcement Report January-March 2013

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