An Anchorage resident who took customers fishing without the required halibut charter permit will pay a $15,000 fine to settle an enforcement action, federal authorities say.
Sidney Bouschor initially was assessed a $30,300 civil penalty following an undercover operation by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement.
"Bouschor admitted the charge, but claimed an inability to pay the entire assessed penalty," says this press release. "After supplying the required financial documentation to NOAA, which was evaluated by a NOAA financial expert, NOAA's Office of General Counsel found it appropriate to settle the case for $15,000."
The press release, unfortunately, doesn't specify which port Bouschor was operating out of, or provide other details of the undercover operation.
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7 comments:
Interesting that you give as much space for this offense as you did for the trawl scam that resulted in a fine of nearly three million dollars. Of course this is a site to say nice things about commercial issues and be hyper critical of sports fishing issues so is to be expected, I suppose.
They should fine the charter boat 3
million also.
Do you think that 3 million would be enough? Perhaps slap him with a ten year sentence too. That would serve him right, don't you think? After all, it is a sports fishing violation. And almost any thing short of life would seem ok, right? Because, in the grand scheme of things, the under counting of up to 17% of all trawl catch by american Sea Foods over several years just pales by comparison to what this charter boat operator did by taking a few fishermen fishing with a rod and reel without a charter boat license. I say string him up.
since when is the inability to pay a reason to reduce a fine. get a night job. makes me sick
In answer to comment #1. The guy who was charged was not a sports fisherman, he was a commercial sports fisherman. There is a difference. We have the same problem in Canada.
Inconsistency leads to disharmony.
WOW! So if you're just taking the pukers out to fish illegally for halibut slap him on the hand and let it slide. But do it commercially and get ready to bend over and take it from the feds.....cuz after all you're just public enemy #1! And the charter guys wonder why commercial fishermen can't stand them? Unfreaking-believable!
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