SavingSeaFood - Coast Guard cites three scallopers

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Coast Guard cites three scallopers

NEW BEDFORD — The U.S. Coast Guard says that stepped-up efforts to combat illegal scallop fishing are paying off, with three vessels home ported in New Bedford cited for violations in the Hudson Canyon area in the last month.

"Based on the recent trends, it appears there are vessels coordinating their operations over multiple trips to evade law enforcement detection and engage in illegal fishing in the Hudson Canyon Closed Area," Capt. Peter DeCola, chief of law enforcement in the Coast Guard's 1st District announced in a news release on Friday.

On Wednesday, two New Bedford fishing vessels were cited for "significant Atlantic sea scallop management plan fisheries infractions."

The vessels were not named in the Coast Guard release, but The Standard-Times has learned that two of the boats involved were the Stardust, owned by SJ Fisheries Inc., and the Ilha Brava, owned by Carlos Rafael.

The alleged offenses took place on Feb. 24, according to DeCola. After an investigation, the violations were issued this week.

Read the complete story from The South Coast Today.

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