A Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) enforcement agent cited four Mississippi men for alleged shrimping violations on Aug. 2 in St. Bernard Parish.
The agent cited Joe Tran, 48, Duc Le, 48, Tri Le, 55, and Phung Hoang, 59, for trawling in a closed season.
Senior Agent Brett Nabors received a complaint about a vessel illegally catching shrimp in Lake Borgne near the Rigolets. The agent observed the four men with their trawls in the water around 8:10 a.m.
The agent observed shrimp and fresh bycatch in the closed tails of the trawls when they were instructed to pick up. The agent seized 6,100 pounds of shrimp from the vessel and sold them to the highest bidder.
Using skimmers in a closed season brings a $400 to $950 fine and up to 120 days in jail and forfeiture of anything seized.
In addition for the first conviction of shrimping during the closed season, the court may revoke or suspend the violator's trawl, skimmer, or butterfly gear licenses for one year from the date of the conviction. During such revocation or suspension, the violator may be present on a vessel harvesting or possessing shrimp or possessing a trawl, skimmer, or butterfly net only if the vessel is equipped with and employs an operating vessel monitoring system which is accessible to LDWF. The violator may also have to perform 40 hours of community service.