Two federal law enforcement investigations have resulted in new guilty pleas in Puerto Rico to crack down on the illicit trafficking of protected reef creatures.
NOAA has issued a Notice of Violation and Assessment to a resident of Wrangell, Alaska, and Sylver Fishing Company in the amount of $17,600 for the failure to offload and report all Pacific halibut caught on an Individual Fishing Quota fishing trip.
New outreach efforts underway so that fishery observers feel comfortable reporting harrassment issues and ensure that fishing vessel crews, captains and fishing company managers understand what constitutes harassment.
