NOAA
fisheries has been cracking down on shrimpers in federal waters of the Gulf who
are not using the required Turtle Excluder Devices in their fishing nets.
The
devices keep endangered and threatened sea turtles from being caught and
drowned in shrimping nets and are required under the Endangered Species Act.
The
owners and operators of 18 shrimp trawlers have been assessed civil penalties
over the past weeks for allegedly altering or not having turtle excluder
devices on their vessels.
There
have also been 81 verbal warnings, 20 written warnings and 59 potential
additional charges, which are currently being reviewed by attorneys for NOAA or
the Department of Justice.
The
shrimpers have 30 days to respond either by paying the penalty, seeking to have
it modified, or requesting a hearing.
Penalties
range from $2,500 to $23,000, based on the number of counts and other
particular facts of each case, including repeat offenses.
The
fines are the latest result of NOAA’s increased enforcement of turtle excluder
devices.
The
action is being taken due to a spike in sea turtle deaths.
There
have been more than 468 strandings of sea turtles in Louisiana, Mississippi and
Alabama documented since January 1st.
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