According to media report a commercial fisherman from Palm Beach County was fined nearly $52K after hidden illegal catch discovered during an inspection of his boat at Port Canaveral. David Sanderson, 44, of West Palm Beach was issued two fines totaling $51,975 regarding three counts of harvesting king mackerel in excess of the commercial limit and two counts of making false statements to law enforcement officers.
After checking Sanderson’s commercial-fishing vessel, the Stapleton, on Dec. 23, 2009, the officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and NOAA had recommended penalties. The officers discovered a hidden compartment that contained more king mackerel, commonly known as kingfish, than is allowed by federal law, the state wildlife agency said in a statement.
Agent Mark Fields of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, said that this type of illegal activity has a serious impact on the livelihood of other commercial fishermen, as well as the sustainability of the king mackerel commercial fishery. Sanderson has 30 days to request a hearing before a federal judge regarding the violations of the U.S. Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Management Act.
