The 83-foot commercial fishing vessel, Lady Kristie, near Tortugas Ecological Reserve, Feb. 21, 2019. (Coast Guard Photo)
MIAMI — The Coast Guard and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration terminated the voyage of the 83-foot commercial fishing vessel, Lady Kristie, with three people aboard Thursday after discovering multiple violations near Tortugas Ecological Reserve.
Fishing in an ecological reserve violates NOAA regulations.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. the Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo (WPC-1112) crew detected the Lady Kristie within a protected area. The cutter Isaac Mayo crew boarded the vessel and identified the following alleged violations: an inoperable high water bilge alarm, a lack of drills being conducted, fishing inside an ecological reserve and exceeding their tow time restriction of 75 minutes.
“Our partnership with NOAA is a valuable asset for the effective enforcement of both federal and state fisheries regulations,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Andrew Diaz, an operations specialist at Coast Guard Sector Key West. “Our marine resources are extremely valuable to our nation. We encourage boaters to familiarize themselves with the fishing regulations to make sure they are complying with federal law.”
