NOAA Finds Increase in Illegal Sales of Recreationally Caught AK Halibut
SEAFOODNEWS.COM [NOAA Office of Law Enforcement] By Ally Rogers - December 24, 2015
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement in Alaska regularly sees illegal activity related to the transferring and selling of recreational caught fish in other states.
“It’s a big issue with halibut especially, but it’s also salmon and other species,” said Special Agent Andrew Mathews of OLE-Alaska Division.
As a prime location for vacationing and fishing, it’s become a regular enforcement activity for Alaska agents and officers to engage in Magnuson-Stevens Act and Northern Pacific Halibut Act based investigations. In fact, in fiscal year 2015 nearly 95 percent of OLE-Alaska’s investigations were related to these two laws.
One such incident involved a Virginia-based seafood restaurant and the illegal sale of 73 pounds of sport caught halibut.
While vacationing in Petersburg, Alaska, John Graham II legally harvested sport-caught halibut...
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