Unlawful Fishermen Targeted in Western Gulf Efforts
Coast Guard Rear Admiral Stewart and NMFS official Brawner say U S vessels still fish in Mexican waters. Coast Guard and NMFS will expand deployments to document violations and pursue civil and criminal penalties under the Lacey Act. Penalties include up to 20 000 fines or five years jail, plus possible forfeiture. 111 criminal and 299 civil cases since Oct 1982 yielded dozens of probation, fines, forfeitures, and large assessments.