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Whale case ends in $200 plea deal |
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A Gloucester fisherman accused of harassing humpback whales on
Stellwagen Bank in 2008 reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors
yesterday that will see him fined $200.
Christopher Jacques of Western Avenue pleaded guilty to two violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, but avoided what could have been up to $100,000 in fines and a year in jail if he had been convicted at trial. In March of last year, he was charged with three counts of whale harassment — including hitting two humpbacks with a boat. "I took the deal," Jacques said yesterday when reached by phone after giving his plea in U.S. district court in Boston. "I wanted to fight it but couldn't take the chance. I am living paycheck to paycheck." |
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33 Fishing Community Members Say Permit Bank, Giacalone are pluses for Gloucester
This permit bank is a true local treasure for our fishing community and related businesses. Its existence has been one of the only positive things to come to this fishing community in decades.