Tuesday, February 3, 2009

EIGHT CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY HARVESTING AND SELLING STRIPED BASS

Two More Indicted in Largest Ever Investigation into Illegal Commercial Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River

WASHINGTON— Five commercial fishermen in St. Mary’s County, Md., a fish wholesaler, its owner and an employee have been charged in Maryland and Washington, D.C., for their role in the illegal harvest, sale, and purchase of hundreds of thousands of pounds of striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River from 2003 through 2007, the Justice Department announced today.

“State and federal authorities are working together to preserve our precious natural resources, including striped bass or rockfish, which was named the official fish of the state of Maryland in 1965” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “If commercial fishermen obey the rules, we can all enjoy rockfish forever. If we allow overfishing and fail to enforce those rules, the rockfish population could be wiped out very quickly.” [Full Story]

Source: USFWS

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