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Fishing captain claims tribal right to sea scallops |
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Written by Administrator
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Friday, 27 August 2010 |
Fishing captain claims tribal right to sea scallops
(Aug. 27, 2010)
The U.S. Coast Guard, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Environmental Police and the National Marine Fisheries Service, boarded a commercial fishing vessel on Nantucket Wednesday and found it did not have a required permit.
The vessel was returning from a fishing trip for Atlantic sea scallops and the captain of the vessel admitted that he did not have a federal fisheries permit.
He did, however, provide a document purporting to provide authorization from the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine for the vessel to fish in federal waters. This document was taken by the environmental police for further investigation by Marine Fisheries officials.
The vessel was issued two violations of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act for the following: fishing for Atlantic sea scallops in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without a federal fisheries permit and fishing for Atlantic sea scallops in the U.S. EEZ without an operational Vessel Monitoring Service (VMS) unit. The fishing vessel was prohibited from fishing inside the U.S. EEZ until the violations are corrected.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued the following broadcast: “The National Marine Fisheries Service is in discussion with the Passamaquoddy Tribe, to better understand the basis for the tribe’s claim to fishing rights. However, the Magnuson-Stevens Act and all federal regulations and laws continue to apply at this time to all fishers in the EEZ, including Passamaquoddy tribal members. Any vessel fishing or possessing federally regulated species in or from the EEZ must hold a valid federal permit, and any person purchasing, possessing, or receiving for a commercial purpose any federally regulated species from the vessels fishing in the EEZ must also be federally permitted. All federally permitted vessels and dealers must comply with regulatory requirements. If you have any questions about this announcement, please contact the Sustainable Fisheries Division at (978) 281-9315."
“The Coast Guard's primary goal with respect to living marine resources is to protect the resource and maintain a level playing field amongst fishermen,” said Capt. Peter DeCola, the First District chief of maritime law enforcement. “Since the federal fisheries are fully utilized under the current management scheme, unpermitted entrants pose a significant danger to fish stocks and put fishermen abiding by the rules at a serious disadvantage."
The boat and master’s names are being withheld pending the ongoing investigation.
http://www.ack.net/VesselBoarding082710.html |
