NOAA Charges Florida Dive Charter Businesses for Fishing Without Federal Permits

NOAA has charged two dive business owners in Pensacola, Fla., with illegally operating spearfishing charters without the appropriate permits in federal waters off the Florida panhandle.
 
NOAA and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission launched an investigation in summer 2007 after NOAA special agents in Niceville, Fla., received several complaints about illegal spearfishing charters running out to the USS Oriskany artificial reef and other popular dive spots off Florida’s northern Gulf coast.
 
Undercover officers chartered trips on the vessel Daisy D., owned and operated by Jeffery Michael Folds of Southern Offshore Adventures, and the Y-Knot, owned and operated by David John Mucci of Blue Water Adventures. Folds was charged with three counts – operating without a federal charter permit, prohibited use of a powerhead (a device with an explosive charge) to take reef fish, and making a false statement to law enforcement officials.
The proposed fine against Folds is $19,000. Mucci was charged with one count of operating without a federal charter permit and the proposed fine against him is $12,500.
 
Both men have 30 days from the date they received their notices of violations to request a hearing before an administrative law judge. Mucci received his notice on Nov. 7 and Folds on Nov.19.
 
“It is important that spearfishing charter operators understand they need the same permits as any other fishing charter operating in federal waters,” said Allan Coker, NOAA special agent in Niceville.
 
Anyone with information involving illegal spearfishing charters should contact NOAA’s Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement national hotline at 1-800-853-1964. 
 
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit http://www.noaa.gov.

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I do what the voices in my regulator tell me to.

Carolina Skiff 1655 DLX Yamaha F50TLR

Anything bad for dive boat captains is good for me......  With my encounters with charter dive boats over the years, I cannot remember a pleasant one.......

The more I learn about women, the more i love my boat.

Wow. Granted, they broke the law and are paying the consequences, as happens.

But anything bad for dive captains is good??? WTF? Several of my very good friends are dive boat captains (law abiding), and depend on it to feed there families.

ALso, every time I have been out with them, the encounters with rodnreel guys has been very nice...freeing anchors for them....telling them what kinda fish are down, and where there holding at on the wreck....

If you have had a LOT of encounters with dive boats, and they have ALL been bad...maybe they're not the ones that stink....maybe its you with a poo-poo stain in your drawers that you are always smelling, and you just THINK it's everybody else that stinks.

And if I sound a lil pissed, it's cuz the ones I am good friends with work hard to pay there bills, and struggle just like the rest of us in this economy, and to hear someone wish them ALL bad even though they prob are not the ones you have ever encountered....just chafes my nut-sac the wrong way.

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UNDERWATER HELMET-CAM VIDEOS SPEARFISHING, USS ORISKANY, SHARKS, AND PICS!

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/435395882

26' Pro-Cat Center Console w/ twin 140HP's   _{^{PFF FORUM MEMBER SINCE 1/2/06}}

_{^{~2007 Outcast Mega Shark Tournament "Beautiful Losers"~}}

^{~2007 "Unofficial PFF Fall Shark Tounament" Winners!~}

^{~13th Annual Orange Beach Spearfishing Tounament 4 Time Placers!~}

hobie outback-gas bill-nada

09 23' seafox cc 200hp suz-gas bill-well thats another story

Destin has several dive boat captains that will come in on top of an anchored fishing boat....   Then, advise you that you should maintain a distance from them.....

As a result of this behavior, I have become biased against dive boat captains....  Not divers, they just want to get wet and look around......  But the dive boat captains seem to think that they own the gulf....

The more I learn about women, the more i love my boat.

Just seemed like you were wishing the whole lot of them bad was why I made the comment I did. I struggle with my bills, and if I saw someone say on here that anything that happens bad to roofing contractors is good for them, would chap me reading it.

And I have heard of what you say happeneing, and it is wrong. The law doesnt state you have to maintain a certain distance, it states you must slow and use extreme caution while approaching the atea. ANd if they are the ones comming next to you.

Although I am not a Captain, I aplogize on behalf of the good dive captains I know for the actions of some knuckleheads that give others a balck eye.

All the ones here I have delt with in Pensacola have always been proffesional, and courtous and helpful when I am in my boat or friends boat and we come to a spot near them.

Wasn't trying to bash you, just wanted you to think about hating a whole group of people (hardworking law abiding ones) for the actions of some is all.

__________________________________________________________________________________

UNDERWATER HELMET-CAM VIDEOS SPEARFISHING, USS ORISKANY, SHARKS, AND PICS!

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/435395882

26' Pro-Cat Center Console w/ twin 140HP's   _{^{PFF FORUM MEMBER SINCE 1/2/06}}

_{^{~2007 Outcast Mega Shark Tournament "Beautiful Losers"~}}

^{~2007 "Unofficial PFF Fall Shark Tounament" Winners!~}

^{~13th Annual Orange Beach Spearfishing Tounament 4 Time Placers!~}

They were probably targeted because of specific complaints made against them... look back at the original post. It says, " NOAA special agents in Niceville, Fla., received several complaints about illegal spearfishing charters running out to the USS Oriskany artificial reef and other popular dive spots off Florida’s northern Gulf coast. "

The "several complaints" likely named them specifically. I could launch into wild speculation about who might have made complaints against them, and why, but it would be purely speculation and serve no constructive purpose.

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Captain of the toy charter boat "Tuggy"

Eh.... wrong.

It has always been my understanding that, if you want to shoot fish on during a dive charter, you are doing so under your own fishing license, and are responsible for complying with the rules.

That was a lot of peoples understanding...and unfortunately it proved to be wrong.

A Charter boat must have the licenses / permits if ANY fishing equipment is on board, including spearguns and pole spears. 

The Feds have really tightened the screws after FL FWC and Texas gave them the finger over snapper rules. 

I have to say that I've had the exact same experience with Destin dive boat captains, numerous times...especially at the "Liberty Ship".