September 13, 2016 — Two midcoast lobstermen have been charged with running an illegal fishing operation.
Duston Reed, 34, of Waldoboro was arrested Aug. 18 and charged with fishing lobster traps that were not marked by a buoy, fishing untagged lobster traps, falsifying physical evidence and tampering with a witness, the Maine Marine Patrol said in a news release Monday.
Jeremy Yeaton of Friendship, Reed’s sternman, was arrested Aug. 28 and charged with falsification of physical evidence. Yeaton removed marine electronics used to navigate and locate fishing gear from Reed’s vessel, Outer Limits, the marine patrol said.
Marine patrol officers recovered 40 unmarked, untagged lobster traps during the seven-month investigation, a significant violation of Maine’s marine resource laws, marine patrol Col. Jon Cornish said.