Feds detail several Alaska enforcement cases

NOAA's Office of General Counsel reports the following cases charged in February:

• F/T U.S. Intrepid — Owner U.S. Fishing LLC and operator Erin Blaine Moore were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with failing to comply with vessel monitoring system requirements and for failing to submit two product transfer reports as required. A $38,000 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued.

• F/V Alaska Victory — Owner Alaska Victory Inc. and operator David D. Bishop were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with failing to comply with vessel monitoring system requirements. A $36,000 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $32,400.

• F/V Arica — Owner Arica Vessel LLC and operator John C. Nelson were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with exceeding the maximum retainable amount of pollock on one fishing trip and failing to timely submit one product transfer report. A $20,818 NOVA was issued.

• F/V Lady Lee Dawn — Owner-operator Alvin J. Newman Jr. was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with failing to comply with vessel monitoring system requirements. A $10,000 NOVA was issued.

• F/V Pacific Star — Owner Pacstar Inc. and operator John P. McCarthy were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with exceeding the maximum retainable amount of bycatch on one trip in 2023. A $4,836 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $4,361.

• F/V Dominator — Owner Trident Seafoods and operator Jamie Potter were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with exceeding the maximum retainable amount of squid and sablefish. A $4,000 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $3,600.

Feds detail three enforcement cases

NOAA's Office of General Counsel reports these cases charged in December:

• F/V Evie Grace — Owner Evie Grace Fisheries LLC and operator Robert B. Langdon were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with observer sampling interference, unlawful discard of a Rockfish Program species, and with exceeding maximum retainable amounts of bycatch in 2022 and 2023. A $35,918 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued, and the case settled for $33,368.

• F/V Gambler — Owner Gambler Tendering LLC and operator Kyle Potter were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with operating a vessel without transmitting from a vessel monitoring system when required, and with catching and retaining Pacific cod from waters adjacent to the Gulf of Alaska without all required designations and/or endorsements, and/or when directed fishing for Pacific cod was not open. A $29,621.38 NOVA was issued.

• F/V Unimak — Owner Unimak Vessel LLC and operator David L. Ostrom were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with exceeding the maximum retainable amount of pollock on one fishing trip and failing to timely submit one product transfer report. A $4,514 NOVA was issued.

Feds detail three enforcement cases

NOAA's Office of General Counsel reports these cases charged in October:

• F/V U.S. Intrepid — Crewman Zedrick Moli (aka Zedrick Allen) was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with harassing and sexually harassing a female fisheries observer. An $18,000 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued.

• F/V Foreigner — Owner Anastasia Basargin and operator Arseny Reutov were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with operating a vessel without an operable VMS (vessel monitoring system). A $7,500 NOVA was issued.

• F/V Ocean Invictus — Owners Ocean Bay Inc. and Kilokak Inc. and operator Robert Graham were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with failing to retain pollock, an IR/IU (improved retention/improved utilization) species, up to the maximum retainable amount. A $5,750 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $5,175.

Trawl case settles for $15,000

The NOAA Office of General Counsel provided the following case update:

• F/V Vanguard — Owner Vanguard Fisheries LLC and operator Per Hesberg were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishing with, and having onboard, nonpelagic trawl gear in federal reporting areas open only to pelagic trawl gear; not complying with vessel monitoring system requirements; and inaccurate reporting. A $59,784 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued. The case settled for $15,000 as to the VMS violation; the agency withdrew the remaining violations.

$59,784 penalty assessed in trawl case

The NOAA Office of General Counsel reports the following case charged in December:

• F/V Vanguard — Operator Per Hesberg and owner Vanguard Fisheries LLC were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishing with, and having onboard, nonpelagic trawl gear in federal reporting areas open only to pelagic trawl gear; not complying with vessel monitoring system requirements; and inaccurate reporting. A $59,784 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued.

Bering Sea mothership nets $4,500 penalty

From the NOAA Office of General Counsel:

• M/V Phoenix — Owner Phoenix Processor LP and Capt. David Long were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with failing to submit check-in/check-out reports or have an operational VMS onboard while operating a mothership in the Bering Sea. A $5,000 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued, and the case settled for $4,500.

Groundfish harvester accused of VMS violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Seward
Type: VMS
On 10/21/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Eros F. Kuzmin, 41, of Homer, on the F/V Navigator for failing to have an activated vessel monitoring system as required while participating in the state waters parallel groundfish fishery. Arraignment set for 12/1/15 in Seward District Court.

Kodiak fisherman cited over lack of VMS

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kodiak
Type: VMS
On 2/2/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Keith Blondin, 27, of Kodiak. Investigation found Blondin had operated two vessels for commercial groundfish, but did not have the required vessel monitoring system aboard either vessel. Arraignment set for 3/6/15 in Kodiak District Court.

Fisherman failed to turn on VMS, troopers say

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sand Point
Type: Vessel monitoring system
On 4/24/13 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued two summonses to Nick August Carlson, 45, of Anchorage, for failing to have his VMS activated during a parallel Pacific cod fishery in 2010 and 2011. Arraignment set for 5/21/13 in Valdez District Court.

Fisherman charged at Seward with VMS violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Seward
Type: No activated vessel monitoring system
On 2/2/13 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, issued a summons to Michael Roy Stassen, 44, of Fountain Hills, Ariz., on the commercial fishing vessel Spectre for participating in a state and federal groundfish fishery without having an activated vessel monitoring system onboard. Arraignment set for 2/12/13 in Seward District Court.