Weekly Highlights - January 15, 2021

Northeast

• A Special Agent worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the New Jersey Department of Health, and New Jersey JEA partners to embargo and destroy 25,000 pounds of contaminated surf clams.

• A commercial fishing vessel was issued a $41,699.00 NOVA for providing false broad stock area catch reports.

Southeast

• A Special Agent in Slidell issued an $800 summary settlement to the owner/operator of a commercial shrimp vessel.  The vessel was boarded by officers with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on JEA patrol.  All four turtle excluder devices (TEDS) were found to be in violation of approved TED regulations. 

• A Charleston, SC Enforcement Officer was notified by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources of a Facebook post that a sailfish had been removed from the water for photographs.  A Written Warning was issued following further investigation and an interview.  An FWC Case Package was reviewed and a $500 Summary Settlement was issued for operating a commercial charter without Federal Fisheries Permits.

Alaska

• A Special Agent issued a $1,000 summary settlement to a sportfish guide for failing to record a guided angler fish (GAF) halibut on the GAF permit as required. This was the result of information provided by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers (AWT).  

• An Enforcement Officer and Special Agent responded to a report of dead orca. The animal was a newborn and was transported to a nearby town where a local veterinarian performed a necropsy on it that evening.

Pacific Islands

• A Supervisory Enforcement Officer and Enforcement Officer conducted patrols in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary via land and sea while on the island of Maui. During a land patrol, the Officers met with State of Hawaii Parks employees who had information about subjects swimming with dolphins and Hawaiian Monk Seals.  The SEO gathered the information for future patrols in the area.  A sea patrol was conducted in the reported areas the following day.

• A Special Agent conducted Endangered Species Act land patrols on Kauai and educated the public on the regulations pertaining to Hawaiian monk seals and humpback whales during the division's annual humpback whale enforcement operations.  The SA also assisted the Kauai Mammal Response Coordinator with conducting a monk seal survey around the property of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) Anahola coastline where recent seal deaths have occurred.  No violations were detected.