Thursday, 4:30 PM
Feds seize 20,000 pounds of scallops
By Sarah M. Kneezle, Globe Correspondent
Federal agents seized 20,000 pounds of scallops overnight from a boat two miles east of Martha's Vineyard and charged the crew with using illegal dredges, according to a statement issued today by the US Coast Guard.
Investigators boarded the 93-foot Villa Do Corva II at about 9 p.m. Wednesday as the boat was on its way to its home port of New Bedford. Authorities allege that the crew was using dredges that did not meet federal requirements because the gear did not allow fish to escape.
"The Coast Guard is committed to enforcing fishery conservation and management regulations to help ensure the sustainability of our nation's fishery resources," said Lieutenant Commander Edward Marohn, from the Coast Guard First District's Fisheries Enforcement Branch. "By preventing the use of illegal fishing gear, we help ensure the sustainability of the valuable New England fish stocks."
The scallops were valued at more than $150,000 in what is considered to be one of the largest catch seizures in recent years, the Coast Guard said. The incident is also under investigation by agents from NOAA Fisheries Enforcement.
