Feds detail recent enforcement actions

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

• F/V Baranof — Crewman Jamar Strain was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with intimidating, sexually harassing, harassing and interfering with an observer onboard a vessel. A $9,500 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued.

• F/V Tsiu — Owner Bae Olney-Miller, operator and IFQ permit holder Dane C. Tebo, and IFQ permit holder Loren Lensegrav were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishing with bottom contact gear in a Gulf of Alaska coral habitat protection area. Olney-Miller and Tebo also were charged with failing to retrieve and remove longline pot gear within five days of deploying the gear to fish IFQ sablefish in the Southeast Outside District of the Gulf of Alaska as required and submitting inaccurate information on an Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish ticket. A $12,542 NOVA was issued.

• F/V Sea Racer — Owner-operator Varnavy N. Basargin was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishing for groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska without a valid federal fisheries permit, inaccurately reporting statistical areas fished, and failing to put the proper markings on marker buoys. A $10,250 NOVA was issued.