Weekly Highlights - April 12, 2019

Northeast

• A Special Agent attended the meeting of the Northeast U.S. Fraud Working Group at the Combat Capabilities Development Command Center in Natick, MA. The multi-agency meeting highlighted trends in investigative support for fraud enforcement.

Southeast

• Corpus Christi, TX special agents conducted a multi-agency IUU port of entry examination operation at the Veterans commercial import lot in Brownsville, TX. Import shipments of blue crab, shrimp, and red snapper from Mexico were examined verifying compliance with import and SIMP regulations.  No violations were found.

• The U.S. Coast Guard interdicted Mexican lancha vessels in the EEZ off South Texas. Upon determination that the vessels were engaged in unlawful fishing within U.S. waters (IUU), NOAA OLE gave concurrence with a Statement of No Objection by the USCG to detain vessel and turn over crew members to Customs and Border Protection for repatriation to Mexico.

Alaska

• A Special Agent directed a fishing vessel to cease fishing after the boat made two trips with intermittent VMS transmissions. The boat returned to Dutch Harbor and fixed its VMS.

• An Enforcement Officer and Sustainable Fisheries conducted a plant visit in Adak.  A full review of the plants proposed CMCP was conducted along with ensuring the plant was in compliance with observer requirements.  The officer provided compliance assistance to address scale requirements, observer safety, and visibility of the bycatch from the observer station.

• Multiple Enforcement Officers conducted educational outreach at the Great Alaskan Sport Show in Anchorage. Over 800 people stopped at the interactive educational booth to learn how NOAA OLE protects and manages marine resources.

West Coast

• Special Agents, an enforcement officer, and CDFW warden participated in deep set buoy gear training in San Diego which was provided by OPR personnel and scientists with Pfleger Institute of Environmental Research (PIER) who designed the gear.  Approximately 50 commercial fishermen in California have experimental fishery permits for this gear.

Pacific Islands

• Enforcement Officers investigated a hotline complaint of people harassing a Hawaiian Monk Seal on Oahu.  The hotline caller could not be re-contacted however, a PID Enforcement Officer responded and located the subject seal on Makua Beach.  No people were in the vicinity of the seal at the time of the Officer’s arrival, however numerous human footprints were in the area surrounding the seal.  No violations documented.

• An Enforcement Officer along with officers from the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources (JEA partners), conducted a boarding of a Taiwanese flagged longline fishing vessel in American Samoa.  Fishing logs, Regional Fishery Management Organization authorization paperwork, transshipment documents, the Vessel Monitoring System, along with sea turtle mitigation gear were checked.  The PSMA Annex C form was completed; JEA partners are currently waiting for the FFV to offload its catch for further verification.  No other action taken at this time.