this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I'm glad they nabbed them.:clapping:
http://www.onthewater.com/massachuse...hermen-busted/
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this is just the tip of the iceberg, but I'm glad they nabbed them.:clapping:
http://www.onthewater.com/massachuse...hermen-busted/
I hate the Massachusetts commercial fishermen most of all because it seems like there is so much abuse up there. About time somebody finally did something about it, thanks for sharing.
agreed. anyone with a boat can be a commercial fisherman in massachusetts. I don't know if this is true but last year a guy told me that the highest rate of poaching and selling illegal fish comes from massachusetts. fwiw.
Recent bust
Nice, finally some justice! Thanks for sharing. I was reading the report online, here it is.
"Massachusetts Environmental Police Dispatch can be reached 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-632-8075.
Violations can also be reported online at http://bit.ly/MEPReport.
On Tuesday, September 19, 2017, a Massachusetts Environmental Police Officer on patrol along the Cape Cod Canal seized eight striped bass in two separate incidents, along with fishing gear and a bicycle.
In the first incident, the officer observed an individual placing fish in the rear cabin of his truck. Upon further inspection, it was determined the individual had an additional striped bass under the cover of his truck bed. The fish were seized and a citation was issued.
In the second incident, the officer observed an individual placing a striped bass into a plastic bag and then into the rear cabin of his truck. Upon further inspection, it was determined that five additional striped bass were under the cover of his truck bed. The officer seized six fish, a bicycle, tackle, and two fishing rods and a criminal summons was issued.
Officers contacted several facilities on Cape Cod who were unable to utilize and/or process the seized catch; a total of 200 pounds of striped bass were subsequently donated to the Salvation Army of Brockton."
another bust, w*t*f? I love the high fines tho.
Four Arrested in Bourne on Fisheries Violations - Vessel, Trailer, Vehicle Impounded and Gear Seized
UPDATE: Son Nguyen, Hai Nguyen, Lam Nguyen, and Raymond Ung, of the greater Springfield area, were each arraigned at Falmouth District Court today, September 25, 2017, and pleaded guilty. They were each fined $1000 and the fishing gear and coolers used in the commissions of the violations were forfeited to the Commonwealth.
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On Sunday, September 24, 2017, at approximately 2:19 pm, an Environmental Police Officer was conducting recreational marine fisheries inspections on vessels returning to Taylor Point Marina in Bourne, Massachusetts.
Upon approaching a vessel that had just hauled out, the Officer observed one of the four males on the vessel run up a hill towards the rail road tracks with a white bucket. The male then dumped a quantity of fish behind some bushes.
The Officer approached the male with the bucket and observed six small Black Sea Bass on the ground. The Officer placed the male party in handcuffs and recovered the fish. He escorted the male party back to the vessel and the three other occupants. The Officer asked all four individuals if there were any more Black Sea Bass in the vessel. They all responded no.
An Environmental Police Lieutenant arrived to assist and upon inspecting the vessel the Lieutenant located 17 more Black Sea Bass and 5 Scup hidden in the transom of the vessel. A closer inspection of all 23 Black Sea Bass and the 5 Scup found them all to be under the legal size limit.
All four occupants of the vessel were taken into custody and transported to the Bourne State Police Barracks. The vessel, trailer, and vehicle were impounded and all fishing gear was seized as evidence. At the Barracks they were booked on the following charges:
1. Failure to display catch upon demand;
2. Possession of 23 Black Sea Bass during the closed season for Black Sea Bass;
3. Possession of 23 Black Sea Bass less than the legal size;
4. Possession of 5 Scup less than the legal size.
Recreational Black Sea Bass season ended at midnight on August 29, 2017 and during the season Black Sea Bass must measure 15 inches to be legally possessed. Recreational Scup must measure 10 inches to be legally possessed and the possession limit is 30 fish per angler up to 150 per vessel.
All four will be arraigned at Falmouth District Court on Monday morning. Due to the storage, handling, and size of the seized catch, it was deemed not viable for human consumption and was returned to the sea.
About time!!!!!!:beatin::clapping::clapping::clapping::c lapping:
I am so glad to see someone get fined big money. Hope it hurts them good, thanks for sharing.
You're welcome. I think they have been more aggressive in targeting poachers this year, and it seems to be working.
And the court lets the poachers walk! The bust-
http://www.onthewater.com/striped-ba...ape-cod-canal/
Court dropped the charges. only had to pay $1200, no criminal record.:mad:
http://www.onthewater.com/charges-di...iper-poachers/
Well they DID at least have to pay the $1200. I see your point in being angry. Have heard that the criminal courts do not take fishing violations seriously tho. This is prob the best you can expect.
There are no maritime judges. So most judges have no understanding of maritime law and sentence by what the convicted parties lawyers purpose as fair.
Yeah plus half of these guys busted dont have green cards or dont speaka da Engleesh. Waste of time going after them.
20 poached striped bass from Weekapaug, largest 18".
http://www.onthewater.com/rhode-isla...riper-poacher/
More aggressive enforcement.
"DMF and Environmental Police Raise the Stakes
Recreational and commercial permit sanctions increasingly used to stop poaching.
There is an alarming increase in illegal fishing activity in Massachusetts. Reasons include rebuilt stocks resulting in abundant schools of fish close to shore; increased fishing activity and participants allowing poachers and poaching to go unnoticed or unreported; a vast coastline for the Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP) to patrol; and sadly a poor conservation ethic among some commercial and recreational harvesters. These violations threaten the public welfare because they can have an indirect effect on the quotas of fish that the Commonwealth receives in futures years.
Many publicized violations have become high profile on social media and the talk of the waterfront. In turn, the conservation oriented majority of commercial and recreational fishermen are frustrated with the negative impacts poaching continues to have on particular stock health and future fishing quotas and limits. Supporters of strict adherence to the conservation and management regulations of DMF are demanding stronger measures for violations. In response, DMF and the MEP are seeking a number of remedial measures, including an increase in permit sanctions such as suspensions, revocations and non-renewals. The use of such remedial action is subject to the Commonwealth’s Administrative Procedures Act which establishes specific due process requirements in the form of an adjudicatory procedure to be conducted by agencies that issue permits they seek to suspend, revoke or not renew.
Adjudicatory proceedings are not a new approach. State, federal and municipal agencies that are authorized by legislature to issue permits are also authorized to revoke such permitting instances where the use of the permit is being abused by permit holders who violate applicable regulations. DMF has historically utilized this process to suspend, revoke and not renew commercial fishing permits as well as seafood dealer permits in response to egregious or repetitive violations. What is new is the number of adjudicatory proceedings that DMF is conducting and first-ever sanctions on recreational fishing permits—both individual anglers and for-hire boats.
Whereas prior years included only a handful of hearings annually to address commercial fishery violations, this past year DMF has conducted 15 adjudicatory proceedings for recreational and commercial fishing permits for violations of fishery regulations.
To sanction a commercial, recreational or seafood dealer permit, DMF is required to comply with strict legal requirements such as adequate notice of the alleged violation; a full and fair evidentiary hearing before an impartial magistrate; the use of witness testimony and documentary evidence; the right to cross-examination; the accused’s right to retain counsel to challenge and contest the alleged violations and present their own evidence and defenses; conferencing of the parties to reach a partial or full settlement of the alleged violations; opportunity to provide written comments to the magistrate’s tentative decision; a final decision made by the Director based on the administrative record of the proceedings and the magistrates final recommended decision; and the right to judicial review of permit sanctions, if any, taken by the Director.
Recreational and commercial poaching comes in many forms and no fishery is exempt. Last year there was an unprecedented mid-summer striped bass blitz along the Cape Cod Canal. This produced incredible catches, as well as infamous levels of poaching. Many citations were issued for anglers taking more than the 1-fish per day recreational limit. Additionally, commercial fishermen were cited for exceeding commercial limits, fishing commercially on closed fishing days, and not clipping the fins of their recreational catch.
Some of the perpetrators were blatant in their concealing of fish and lying to officers about their catch. For 2017 violations, five anglers have had their recreational fishing permits suspended for one to three years. Two of the five also held a commercial permit and those permits were suspended as well. This is in addition to several commercial permit suspensions and revocations for striped bass violations over the past several years.
Exasperated by this unwillingness or inability to comply with marine fisheries regulations, DMF and the Environmental Police have successfully revoked numerous recreational and commercial permits, for violating regulations the permit holder had agreed to comply with as a condition of their permit. DMF is, essentially, taking back the permits that it has issued to individuals who use them to poach. We expect these sanctions will serve as deterrents to poaching but may only be the first of many steps necessary to improve the conservation ethic among Massachusetts fishermen.
By Dan McKiernan, Deputy Director
DMF also maintains a website for its Administrative Law Section. The pages on this site provide the public with more information regarding the Administrative Law Section’s work and how adjudicatory hearings are conducted. It serves as a repository of final decisions, dating back to 2010.