Department of Commerce
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
-Office of Law Enforcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 11, 2008

Maryland Charterboat Captain Settles Interference Case with NOAA

NOAA’s Fisheries Service has reached a settlement agreement with a Maryland fisherman charged with violating the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, resisting arrest and other offenses.

On August 25, 2007, officers from Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources and the Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement boarded the charter vessel Lisa while conducting enforcement activities, under an agreement with NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement in Ocean City, Md.

When officers boarded the vessel, they found the vessel operator, Stuart Windsor, in possession of two wahoo without a proper permit to retain the fish. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources had previously warned Windsor about the illegality of possessing wahoo or dolphin without a proper permit

Windsor also faced federal charges of violating the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act for interfering with the federally-deputized officers during the boarding.

On March 3, 2008, a NOAA General Counsel Senior Enforcement Attorney reached a settlement agreement with Windsor’s attorney, in which Windsor agreed to pay a $20,000 compromise civil penalty.