Fishing violations for significant Atlantic Sea Scallop management plan fisheries infractions were issued to two New Bedford fishing vessels. The vessels were issued violations for unauthorized scallop fishing inside of the Hudson Canyon Closed Area and for fishing outside of the Elephant Trunk Access Area while declared to fish inside an area open to fishing known as the Elephant Trunk Access Area.
Coast Guard and National Marine Fisheries Service personnel are continuing to conduct joint operations targeting vessels fishing for scallops illegally inside the Hudson Canyon closed area east of New Jersey as well as fishing in open areas when they are declared to fish inside of access areas.
Capt. Peter DeCola, chief of law enforcement in the Coast Guard’s 1st District, said that this is the third violation they have issued in the Hudson Canyon area to scallop vessels homeported in New Bedford over the past month. He further said that based on the recent trends it appears there are vessels coordinating their operations over multiple trips to evade law enforcement detection and engage in illegal fishing in the Hudson Canyon Closed Area.
