A New Bedford fishing vessel recently agreed to pay a civil penalty for fishing in a closed area.

The 1st Coast Guard District says that on March 21, 2014 a Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod HC-144 crew saw the Warrior, fishing for scallops within Closed Area II Essential Fish Habitat, which is about 120 miles east of Cape Cod.

The crew found the Warrior after receiving a referral from the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement Vessel Monitoring program.

Fishing in that area is a violation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

On April 1, 2016, the vessel's owner agreed to a civil penalty of $39,360 for fishing in a closed area and deficiencies with its vessel monitoring system.

"Illegally fishing in closed areas represents a serious risk to our fisheries as well as the fishermen who rely on fishing to make a living," said Capt. Brian Fiedler, chief of law enforcement in the Coast Guard's 1st District. "When fishermen illegally fish in areas that are closed to scallop fishing, as in these two cases, they can damage essential spawning grounds and fish habitat, and gain an unfair advantage over those who respect the boundaries of closed areas."

Fiedler says the Warrior case was the first significant case that had been detected by the HC-144, which is their newest aircraft.

A vessel homeported in Cape May, N.J., Crystal Girl B, was also detected fishing for scallops inside Closed Area I, an area about 30 miles southeast of Cape Cod. on April 30, 2013.

The owner of that vessel agreed to pay $40,750 on March 18, 2016 for closed area violations, including fishing in a closed area.

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