U.S. Coast Guard SEIZES ILLEGAL CATCH

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U.S. Coast Guard


Press Release Date: Nov. 22, 2006
Contact: PA3 Lauren Downs
First Coast Guard District Public Affairs
(617) 406-9011


NEW JERSEY-BASED COAST GUARD CUTTER BOARDS FISHING VESSEL,
SEIZES ILLEGAL CATCH ESTIMATED AT NEARLY $30,000


BOSTON - The Coast Guard escorted the 73-foot fishing vessel Ocean Queen into New Bedford, Mass., about 2 p.m. today for targeting Atlantic Sea Scallops with illegal gear.

A law enforcement team from the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable boarded the Ocean Queen about 100 miles southeast of Chatham, Mass., Monday evening and discovered the vessel fishing with illegally-configured scallop dredges. Scallop dredges are required to be fitted with a twine top mesh measuring a minimum of 10 inches. The Ocean Queen's twine top mesh was reportedly significantly under this requirement prompting the Coast Guard to coordinate with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Enforcement personnel to seize the vessel's catch.

NOAA Enforcement requested the Coast Guard escort the vessel back to New Bedford where 4,000 pounds of scallops and 900 pounds of monkfish tails were seized at an estimated value of $29,000.

The Ocean Queen was escorted by the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable, a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Cape May, N.J., and the Coast Guard Cutter Sanibel, a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Woods Hole, Mass.