Office of Law Enforcement

Annual Report Fiscal Year 2016
About NOAA Law Enforcement 2

Staffing and Budget 3 

Equipment and Training 4

Special Programs 6

International Program 9

Combating IUU Fishing 9

Implementing the Port State Measures Agreement 9

Other International Operations 10

Alaska Division 13

Significant Investigations 15

Northeast Division 17

Significant Investigations 19

Pacific Islands Division 21

Significant Investigations 23

Southeast Division 25

Significant Investigations 27

West Coast Division 29

Significant Investigations 31

Appendix 32
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 1

This was another productive year for NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE). Thanks to the efforts of OLE’s 

dedicated investigative, mission support, and investigative support professionals—enhanced by the activities of our 

state, territorial, and federal partners—we had a number of truly significant accomplishments that I am excited to 

highlight in this year’s Annual Report. 

Recognizing that OLE’s greatest strength lies with the women and men who have committed themselves to 

protecting this country’s natural marine resources, we undertook a comprehensive staffing analysis this year to 

ensure that we had the right people located in the right places to focus on the most pressing enforcement priorities. 

To complete the staffing analysis, we met with a diverse group of stakeholders from all of our five regions to assess 

staffing locations and the level of effort needed to best accomplish our mission. As a result of the analysis and the 

work of many of our mission support staff to implement the staffing plan produced from that analysis, OLE was 

able to begin to reverse a years-long decline in our overall staffing strength, most noticeably increasing the number 

of uniformed enforcement officers by 50 percent.

Operationally, OLE continued to demonstrate its leadership in marine natural resource protection. In the pages that 

follow, you will read about a number of significant cases, including: the investigation and successful prosecution 

of multiple incidents of observer harassment in Alaska; the uncovering of systemic misreporting of landings 

undermining the Federal Research Set-Aside Program in the Northeast; the identification of a wildlife smuggling 

and trafficking ring illegally importing whale bone carvings, walrus ivory carvings, black coral carvings, and other 

products derived from endangered and protected species of wildlife in the Pacific Islands; a multi-defendant 

investigation uncovering wide-spread poaching of Atlantic striped bass from the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone 

in the Southeast; the seizure of more than 2,200 pounds of illegally possessed shark fins by OLE’s West Coast 

Division; and the expansion of OLE’s international activities to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) 

fishing, including activities in support of the Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015. 

The resource allocations and operational activities outlined in this Annual Report demonstrate OLE’s commitment 

to its conservation mandate to promote a level playing field for all who play by the rules; sustain fish stocks for 

commercial, recreational, and tribal users; protect marine mammals and endangered species; conserve protected 

areas; and combat the illegal, unreported, and unregulated harvesting of fish and the illegal trafficking of wildlife. 

JAMES LANDON

Director, Office of Law Enforcement 

National Marine Fisheries Service

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

U.S. Department of Commerce

Director’s Message
NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement protects marine wildlife and habitat by 

enforcing domestic laws and supporting international treaty requirements 

designed to ensure global resources are available for future generations. 

OLE special agents, enforcement officers, as well as investigative and 

mission support staff provide stakeholders with compliance assistance and 

education about the nation’s marine resource laws. 

While OLE investigates violations of marine resource protection laws, 

the Office of the General Counsel’s Enforcement Section is NOAA’s civil 

prosecutor. Together, the two offices make up NOAA’s enforcement 

program and work with other NOAA program offices to establish national 

law enforcement policy. 

OLE directly supports the core mission mandates of NOAA Fisheries—

maximizing productivity of sustainable fisheries and fishing communities, as 

well as protection, recovery, and conservation of protected species—through 

its efforts to enforce and promote compliance with the marine resource 

protection laws and implementing regulations under NOAA’s purview. 

Stats and Facts about OLE

OLE jurisdiction generally covers ocean waters between 3 and 200 miles 

offshore and adjacent to all U.S. states and territories; this is called the 

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). 

The OLE jurisdiction includes:

• 3.36 million square miles of open ocean.

• More than 95,000 miles of U.S. coastline.

• 13 National Marine Sanctuaries and five Marine National Monuments.

To cover this extensive territory, OLE personnel are assigned to five 

divisional offices and 53 field offices throughout the states and U.S. 

territories. Additionally, OLE partners with state and territory law 

enforcement agencies and other federal organizations to maximize 

efficiency. OLE is staffed by 183 employees—77 special agents, 47 

enforcement officers, and 59 mission and investigative support personnel.1

1

 Data as of September 30, 2016.

About NOAA’s Office of 

Law Enforcement

2 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
Staffing

Protecting the nation’s marine 

environment and helping to ensure 

a level playing field for those whose 

jobs and businesses rely on the 

fair use of our marine resources 

requires a significant commitment 

of personnel. In FY 2016, OLE 

undertook two significant actions 

related to its staffing: 1) a major 

review of its staffing levels and 

composition by an independent 

third party and 2) a major hiring 

effort to fill mission-essential 

positions.

The composition and distribution 

of OLE staff needs to be 

continuously reassessed to meet 

evolving national and regional 

priorities and expanding mission 

requirements, and our internal and 

external capabilities must meet 

these requirements within our 

appropriated funding levels. To 

that end, OLE had an independent 

consulting firm conduct a 

comprehensive staffing analysis 

for the office. Using that analysis 

as a baseline, OLE further refined 

the process by incorporating its 

national and division enforcement 

priorities, budgetary constraints, 

and expanded mandates to 

produce a strategic staffing plan.

Guided by the new staffing plan, 

OLE undertook an aggressive 

hiring initiative to fill a number 

of leadership, mission and 

investigative support, and 

investigative positions within OLE. 

Most notably, OLE recruited 19 new 

uniformed enforcement officers for 

deployment to each of OLE’s five 

divisions in 2017. 

Budget

The FY 2016 enacted Fisheries 

Enforcement Budget was $68.6 

million. These funds were 

distributed among five areas:

• $40.06 million for Enforcement 

and Surveillance expenditures 

(salaries, benefits, etc.)

• $18.17 million for the Cooperative 

Enforcement Program (CEP).

• $6.96 million for the Vessel 

Monitoring System (VMS).

• $1.42 million for the High Seas 

Driftnet Act Implementation.

• $1.98 million for NOAA Fisheries 

activities related to Driftnet Act 

Implementation.

During FY 2015 and FY 2016, 

OLE worked closely with the 

Department of Commerce, 

Congress, and the Administration 

to highlight the growing importance 

of NOAA’s efforts to combat illegal, 

unreported, and unregulated (IUU) 

fishing. The FY 2016 President’s 

Budget requested a congressionally 

appropriated increase of 

$3 million and 15 full-time 

employees in additional support 

for OLE to directly address efforts 

to combat IUU fishing and seafood 

fraud. These funds were included 

in the Fisheries Enforcement 

$68.6 million enacted budget and 

supported training and capacity 

building as well as several of the 

hiring personnel actions initiated in 

FY 2016. 

2010

Special Agents Enforcement Officers Investigative Support Mission Support Total 

2011 2012 2013 2015 2016 2016–

End of Year

2014

Staffing Numbers Per Year

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160 147

127

114

102

93 89

77 72

18 20

49

22

31

45

22 29

47

30 28

41 41

29 28

38

47

25

34

57

29

37

27 35

0

50

100

150

200

250 234 225

212

201 191 189

183

195

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 3
4 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

Equipment 

Vessel Procurement 

During FY 2016, NOAA awarded 

a contract for four new patrol 

vessels for OLE. The procurement 

will add two vessels to the 

Northeast Division and two 

vessels to the Southeast Division. 

With these additional resources, 

OLE personnel are better able to 

conduct at-sea patrols, inspections, 

and compliance assistance.

Vessels

Alaska Division

Taku Wind – 5,785 lbs / 26 feet

Willawaw Wind – 5,785 lbs / 26 feet

Aleutian Wind – 6,345 lbs / 27 feet

Chinook Wind – 6,345 lbs / 27 feet

Kenai Guardian – 6,945 lbs / 26 feet

Susitna – 1,200 lbs / 20 feet

Maintenance cost – $13,818

Engines – $95,153.31

Fuel – $6,971.97

Docking – $3,416.02

Storage – $25,939.92

Total cost for FY 2016 

– $145,299.22

Pacific Islands Division

SafeBoat – 13,804 lbs / 33 feet

Engines – $55,740.88

Fuel – $5,210.68

Total cost for FY 2016 

– $60,951.56

Southeast Division

Carolina – 6,300 lbs / 25 feet

Titusville – 5,201 lbs / 24 feet

Galveston – 5,201 lbs / 24 feet

Barracuda – 5,201 lbs / 24 feet

Harlingen – 5,201 lbs / 24 feet

Maintenance cost – $149,457.84

Fuel – $1,803.68

Storage – $5,997

Total cost for FY 2016 

– $157,258.52

West Coast Division

Commander – 3,780 lbs / 21 feet

SafeBoat – 10,300 lbs / 27 feet

SafeBoat – 10,300 lbs / 27 feet

Northriver – 1,100 lbs / 17 feet

Maintenance cost – $119.5

Fuel – $10,555.2

Storage —$3,626.52

Total cost for FY 2016 

– $14,301.22

Cost Differences

Each year the cost varies for the 

OLE vessel fleet. The determining 

factors include operational needs 

and maintenance costs. Regular 

inspections are conducted to 

ensure all equipment is properly 

maintained, and if the item has met 

its lifecycle it is replaced.

Vehicles

In FY 2015, OLE began a process 

of converting its fleet of vehicles 

from owned to General Services 

Administration (GSA) leased, per 

guidance from the Department 

of Commerce. In FY 2016 OLE 

received the first new vehicles 

to its fleet in more than 5 years. 

For the first time, OLE launched a 

standardized vehicle platform for all 

enforcement officers that included 

a newly designed graphics and 

equipment package suited to meet 

OLE’s specific law enforcement 

needs. More than 40 new patrol 

vehicles were received and entered 

into service in FY 2016. In addition, 

OLE continued working with GSA 

on a standardized package of 

unmarked vehicles and converted 

another group of vehicles to GSA 

leased. OLE anticipates delivery 

of nearly 50 new vehicles in 

early FY 2017, to continue the 

recapitalization of our fleet and the 

transition from owned to leased 

vehicles.

Headquarters – 6 vehicles

Alaska Division – 43 vehicles, 1 ATV

Northeast Division – 34 vehicles

West Coast Division – 38 vehicles

Pacific Islands Division – 14 vehicles

Southeast Division – 44 vehicles

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

5.4

6.4

7.4

8.4

6.9

Average Vehicle Age YEARS

About OLE
Training

All OLE officers and agents 

attend training at the Federal 

Law Enforcement Training Center 

(FLETC) in Glynco, Georgia. The 

extensive training received for initial 

entry to the force spans a total of 

28 to 30 weeks.

Officers and agents must also 

attend an annual, week-long 

refresher training where mandatory 

content includes a variety of topics 

designed to ensure our agents and 

officers are maintaining required 

qualifications and have the most 

up-to-date case law review, 

legal requirements, and policy 

information.

Becoming an Enforcement Officer:

• 12 Weeks – FLETC Uniformed 

Police Training Program (UPTP)

• 4 Weeks – FLETC Marine Law 

Enforcement Training Program 

(MLETP)

• 12 Weeks – NOAA Field Training 

and Evaluation Program (FTEP)

Becoming a Special Agent:

• 12 Weeks – FLETC Criminal 

Investigator Training Program 

(CITP)

• 4 Weeks – FLETC MLETP

• 2 Weeks – FLETC Case 

Organization and Presentation 

Training Program

• 12 Weeks – FTEP

Port State Measures Training Program

When the Port State Measure 

Agreement (PSMA) entered into 

force in June 2016, OLE was 

identified as a subject matter expert 

for training and implementation 

of the PSMA. Since many of the 

standards outlined in the PSMA are 

long-standing operational practices 

of the office, OLE created a training 

program for state partners, as 

well as a capacity building training 

program that provides technical 

and operational training to foreign 

partner countries. 

These training programs focus on 

the operational requirements of the 

PSMA, such as the examination 

of pre-arrival information to 

screen arriving vessels, the full 

requirements of conducting a PSMA 

inspection, and final steps to be 

taken after the inspection. The 

training modules also cover all items 

listed in Annex E of the PSMAElements of training for port state 

inspectors (e.g., relevant regional 

fisheries management organizations’ 

(RFMO) conservation and 

management measures, evidence, 

investigative tools, information 

analysis, vessel boardings/

inspections, vessel monitoring 

system (VMS), and vessel, gear, and 

fish identification). OLE’s domestic 

training was piloted this summer 

with Joint Enforcement Agreement 

(JEA) partners in American Samoa 

and Guam. Feedback from these 

pilot programs was integrated into 

finalizing the JEA PSMA training 

program, which will be available for 

all JEA partners. 

For more information about Port 

State Measures and international 

training information, see page 9. 

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 5
6 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

Headquarters: Special 

Programs

Cooperative Enforcement 

Program 

The Cooperative Enforcement 

Program (CEP) aims to increase 

living marine resource conservation, 

endangered species protection, and 

critical habitat enforcement while 

strengthening state and territorial 

enforcement resources.

Under the CEP, OLE has signed 

28 Joint Enforcement Agreements 

(JEAs), which deputize state 

and U.S. territorial marine law 

enforcement agencies to enforce 

federal laws and regulations. Below 

are the states and territories with 

which we have signed agreements: 

• Alabama

• Alaska

• American Samoa

• California

• Connecticut

• Delaware

• Florida

• Georgia

• Guam (2)

• Hawaii

• Louisiana

• Maine

• Maryland

• Massachusetts

• Mississippi

• New Hampshire

• New Jersey

• New York

• Northern Mariana Islands

• Oregon

• Puerto Rico

• Rhode Island

• South Carolina

• Texas

• Virginia

• U.S. Virgin Islands

• Washington

OLE enhances its active presence, 

visibility, and interactions with the 

regulated industry by partnering 

with state and territorial marine 

and natural resource enforcement 

agencies. OLE’s partnerships with 

these enforcement agencies help 

promote compliance with federal 

laws and regulations under the 

purview of NOAA. OLE agents and 

officers leverage JEA partnerships 

to conduct joint operations to carry 

out OLE’s mission. 

Vessel Monitoring System 

The vessel monitoring system 

(VMS) is a satellite surveillance 

system primarily used to monitor 

the location and movement of 

commercial fishing vessels in 

the U.S. EEZ and treaty areas. 

The system uses satellite-based 

communications from transceiver 

units that are on-board vessels 

required to have them installed. 

The transceiver units send data 

that include vessel identification, 

time, date, and location. The vessel 

operators can also use these units 

to communicate by sending text 

messages over email.

In FY 2016 the OLE VMS program 

monitored more than 3,500 

vessels. VMS allows OLE and other 

authorized enforcement agencies 

to monitor vessel location for 

compliance purposes. In addition, 

the VMS Program shares data 

with authorized partners such as 

the U.S. Coast Guard and NOAA’s 

regional fisheries science centers 

for enforcement and fisheries 

management purposes, and also 

shares aggregated data with the 

public upon approved requests.

Additional capability and uses of 

VMS include:

• Monitoring sensitive areas such 

as marine sanctuaries and marine 

national monuments.

• Monitoring activity and arrivals in 

port to plan for sampling.

• Supporting catch share 

programs.

• Tracking, monitoring, and 

predicting fishing effort, activity, 

and location.

• Managing observer programs.

• Verifying/validating data from 

other sources.

• Identifying fishing vessels.

Alaska Division

Northeast Division

Pacific Islands Division

Southeast Division

West Coast Division

$5.6

$1.3

$5.2

$1.1 $2.6

JEA Funding to Regions Per Million

About OLE
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 7

This year, NOAA awarded a new 

5-year contract for VMS software 

surveillance, communications, 

and support services. The 

contract covers the software 

used to monitor vessels and the 

system that collects the satellite 

data, as well as additional 

materials, services, and satellite 

communications.

Investigative Analysts

Background 

In 2007 OLE established a team 

of fisheries intelligence analysts 

with a focus on supporting 

OLE’s international program and 

requirements of the MagnusonStevens Fishery Conservation and 

Management Act to identify IUU 

fishing activities and detect IUU fish 

products in global trade. The role of 

the Analyst Team quickly evolved 

to supporting the operational 

activities of sworn officers and 

special agents in the field, as well 

as assisting both domestic and 

international enforcement programs 

at the national level. 

OLE’s Analyst Team provides 

in-depth research and analytic 

support on a broad range 

of international fisheries law 

enforcement issues—including 

criminal networks, enforcement 

operations, investigations, 

suspected import trade violations, 

and cooperative international 

fisheries enforcement—and support 

for policy development. The Analyst 

Team fuses information and data 

from a variety of official and open 

sources, evaluates its reliability, 

and applies analytic techniques to 

develop judgments or additional 

context that can significantly 

enhance OLE’s operations. 

Team Support

In March 2014, OLE signed a 

memorandum of understanding 

(MOU) with U.S. Customs and 

Border Protection (CBP) to 

participate as a member agency 

of its Commercial Targeting and 

Analysis Center (CTAC). This 

multi-agency facility provides OLE 

analysts with direct access to CBP 

import processing, targeting, and 

law enforcement systems, as well 

as other member agencies’ data 

systems. Leveraging the CTAC 

resources, the Analyst Team can 

identify suspicious shipments 

prior to their U.S. arrival, place 

“holds” for physical examinations 

of selected consignments by OLE 

and coordinate with other CTAC 

participating agencies.

In addition to these programs, 

the Analyst Team provides 

direct support to OLE through 

the production of responses to 

Requests for Information (RFI) 

for investigations, operational 

enforcement support on imports of 

seafood products through CTAC, 

and international program policy 

support. In FY 2016, the Analyst 

Team responded to more than 200 

RFIs in support of investigations 

through the use of proprietary 

databases and intelligence research 

tools. The team leveraged its 

presence at CTAC to respond to an 

additional 250 requests to research 

or take operational action on 

suspect international shipments of 

seafood entering the United States. 

Also, the Analyst Team completed 

approximately 175 RFIs that 

supported international policies 

(such as Port State Measures), the 

Presidential Task Force to Combat 

IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud, 

and RFMO annual meetings.
8 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
Combating Illegal, 

Unreported, and Unregulated 

(IUU) Fishing

Background 

IIn 2014, the White House released 

a Presidential Memorandum 

that called for the creation of a 

task force to combat IUU fishing 

and seafood fraud, co-chaired 

by the Departments of State 

and Commerce. Later that year, 

the Task Force identified 15 

recommendations to combat IUU 

fishing. In March 2015, the Task 

Force issued an action plan to 

implement the recommendations 

and the Task Force was dissolved. 

The work of the Task Force is 

now carried out by the National 

Ocean Council Committee on IUU 

Fishing and Seafood Fraud (NOC 

Committee).

In order to combat IUU fishing, 

OLE works with multiple Regional 

Fishery Management Organizations 

(RFMOs) and foreign governments 

to protect and conserve global 

marine resources. As a cooperating 

office of the NOC Committee, OLE 

also works with several federal 

agencies to highlight ways in which 

the United States can work with 

foreign partners to strengthen 

international governance, enhance 

cooperation, and build capacity to 

combat IUU fishing and seafood 

fraud. What follows are some 

examples of this work. 

OLE and the NOC Committee 

NOAA is identified as the leading 

or co-leading agency for 10 of the 

15 recommendations; within NOAA 

Fisheries, OLE specifically co-leads 

Recommendations 8 (Enforcement 

– Information Sharing) and 11 

(Enforcement – State and Local). 

OLE continues coordination with 

CBP as well as the Department 

of Justice (DOJ) to carry out 

Recommendation 8, which calls 

for the creation of a strategy to 

optimize the collection, sharing, 

and analysis of information and 

resources to prevent IUU or 

fraudulently labeled seafood from 

entering U.S. commerce. 

OLE also works with DOJ to 

lead Recommendation 11, which 

calls for federal agencies to work 

with state and local enforcement 

authorities to expand information 

sharing and develop tools that 

address IUU fishing and seafood 

fraud at the state and local levels. 

During the summer of 2016, OLE 

developed a targeted training 

curriculum for territorial and state 

enforcement partners to implement 

the PSMA. OLE continues to 

develop a draft curriculum for 

an online training program on 

combating IUU fishing and seafood 

fraud for state, local, and territorial 

enforcement partners and will 

continue to work with current and 

potential partner organizations to 

progress this effort in FY 2017.

In addition to leading the working 

groups on Recommendations 8 and 

11, OLE is also part of the working 

group for Recommendations 1 

(implementing Port State Measures), 

2 (identifying regional fisheries 

management organizations’ (RFMO) 

best practices), 6 (capacity building), 

12 (broadening enforcement 

authorities), and 14/15 (creation of a 

seafood traceability program).

Implementing the Port State 

Measures Agreement

Background 

On June 5, 2016, the United 

Nations Food and Agriculture 

Organization (FAO) Port State 

Measures to Prevent, Deter, and 

Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, 

and Unregulated Fishing 

(PSMA) entered into force after 

29 countries, including the 

United States and the European 

Union, ratified the Agreement. 

The Agreement sets minimum 

standards for exercising port 

state controls for foreign 

vessels seeking entry into ports 

and over activities conducted 

while in a country’s port. The 

implementation of the PSMA also 

ensures compliance with RFMOs’ 

conservation and management 

measures. Another major 

provision of the Agreement is an 

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 9

International Programs 
10 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

emphasis on increased information 

sharing and communications 

among participating nations, 

relevant enforcement agencies, 

and relevant international 

organizations, such as RFMOs. 

U.S. Implementation

As the primary office responsible 

for enforcement of the PSMA, 

OLE developed a domestic 

training program for implementing 

the agreement, as well as an 

international training program for 

providing technical assistance to our 

global partners.2 OLE’s domestic 

training was piloted during the 

summer of 2016 with JEA partners 

in American Samoa and Guam. 

The first international training 

program was conducted in 

Indonesia in August 2016. In 

collaboration with the U.S. Agency 

for International Development 

(USAID), OLE conducted both a 

collaborative and regionally focused 

workshop on the implementation 

of PSMA and combating IUU 

fishing, and provided training for 

fisheries officials on best practices 

to implement PSMA.3 More than 

75 people from various countries 

attended the workshop. OLE 

led discussions that focused on 

combating IUU fishing in Indonesia 

and the role of PSMA to combat 

IUU fishing. The training consisted 

of classroom lessons and vessel 

boardings with staged scenarios, 

and set the stage for follow-on 

curriculum development and future 

training by the Indonesian and U.S. 

governments for all port officials 

working in Indonesian ports. 

Other International 

Operations

OLE special agents, enforcement 

officers, and enforcement support 

staff regularly participate in 

international operations. The 

scope of this engagement includes 

providing foreign governments, 

organizations, and communities 

with the tools, resources, and 

information sharing avenues to 

allow them to address complex 

IUU issues. This is usually 

accomplished through technical 

assistance and training workshops. 

Training and Technical 

Assistance 

Indonesia: OLE continued to 

build enforcement capacity within 

the Government of Indonesia, 

2 The implementing legislation for the Agreement was passed in November 2015 under the Port State Measures Agreement Act of 2015 (16 U.S.C. § 7401 et seq.) 3 This training was announced at the 2016 Our Ocean Conference by Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, then Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator.

International Programs
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 11

focusing efforts in Marine Protected 

Areas (MPAs) and the PSMA. In 

November 2015, an OLE special 

agent participated in a workshop on 

Planning for Effective Enforcement 

in MPAs, part of a series of 

cooperative training workshops for 

fisheries enforcement officers in 

Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs 

and Fisheries. In late August 2016, 

a team of facilitators and support 

staff from OLE led a workshop in 

Manado and the Port of Bitung on 

the operational implementation of 

the PSMA. 

West Africa: In July 2016, OLE 

sent a special agent and an 

enforcement officer to participate in 

a West Africa Task Force Fisheries 

Enforcement Workshop in Accra, 

Ghana, alongside representatives 

from NOAA’s General Counsel 

and the NOAA Fisheries Office of 

International Affairs and Seafood 

Inspection (IASI), in collaboration 

with the Fisheries Committee for 

the West Central Gulf of Guinea 

(FCWC). A total of 38 participants 

from Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, 

Togo, Benin, and Nigeria attended. 

Topics of discussion included 

fisheries intelligence; regional 

information sharing; monitoring, 

control, and surveillance (MCS) 

techniques; and developing 

investigative operations and cases 

leading to prosecution by the legal 

teams of each country.

Philippines: In February 2016, 

an OLE assistant director and 

an OLE intelligence analyst 

joined representatives from the 

Government of the Philippines to 

hold a peer-to-peer exchange on 

a planned U.S.-Philippines Joint 

Assessment on the Trafficking 

of Marine Turtles. A follow-on 

enforcement workshop to include 

additional enforcement agencies 

from the Philippines is proposed for 

FY 2017.

Formal Meetings 

Association of Southeast Asian 

Nations Trade and Environment 

Dialogue: In November 2015, OLE 

participated in the Association of 

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 

Trade and Environmental Dialogue 

in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and 

provided presentations on IUU 

fishing and ways to combat the 

trade in IUU fish and fish products. 

Caribbean Regional Wildlife 

Enforcement Network: In July 

2016, representatives of 11 

Caribbean nations, various U.S. 

government agencies, NGOs, 

and IGOs participated in the 

first Caribbean Regional Wildlife 

Enforcement Network (CaribWEN) 

Workshop in Nassau, Bahamas. 

U.S.-Mexico Fisheries Bilateral:

In September 2016, OLE joined 

representatives from the NOAA 

Fisheries IASI, NOAA General 

Counsel, U.S. Coast Guard, and 

Department of State in a bilateral 

fisheries meeting with Mexico. 

Discussion during the enforcement 

portion of the meeting focused 

on efforts to control IUU fishing 

activity and prevent illegal fishing 

incursions into the U.S. EEZ. 

U.S.-E.U. Fisheries Bilateral:

Members of OLE and other NOAA 

partners along with the U.S. Coast 

Guard met with members of the 

Directorate-General for Maritime 

Affairs and Fisheries (DG-MARE) of 

the European Commission during 

the week of April 18 in Brussels, 

Belgium, for the U.S.–E.U. IUU 

working group meeting. 

International MCS Network’s 

Global Fisheries Enforcement 

Training Workshop: Members 

of OLE along with personnel 

from various other NOAA offices 

attended the Global Fisheries 

Enforcement Training Workshop 

in Auckland, New Zealand. The 

workshop promoted cooperation 

between enforcement authorities 

across national borders, built 

trust between MCS practitioners, 

and delivered information about 

the latest, most effective MCS 

technologies, programs, and 

strategies.

INTERPOL Fisheries Crime Working 

Group: During its annual meeting 

in Cape Town South Africa, the 

Fisheries Crime Working Group 

discussed global operations 

dealing with transnational crime 

and IUU vessels. 

INTERPOL International 

Environmental Compliance and 

Enforcement Conference: The 

second INTERPOL International 

Environmental Compliance and 

Enforcement Conference was held 

in Singapore. Key topics included 

sustainable development goals, 

effective environmental compliance, 

enforcement, capacity building, and 

strengthening institutions. 
12 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
Alaska supports a massive seafood industry and has the greatest number 

of domestic fish landings in the United States, with 59 percent of all U.S. 

seafood landings, measured by weight, occurring in Alaska. If it were a 

country, Alaska would be the ninth largest seafood producer in the world. 

The geographic area of responsibility for the Alaska Division (AKD) covers 

28 percent of the U.S. EEZ, 70 percent of the U.S. continental shelf, and 

five of the 11 Large Marine Ecosystems located within the U.S. EEZ. OLE’s 

Alaska Division is unique in that the region only includes the state of Alaska, 

which is comprised of the mainland and more than 200 islands. Within this 

boundary lie some of most prolific fishing grounds on the planet. Waters 

off Alaska account for more than half of all annual U.S. seafood harvests, 

and Alaska has five of the nation’s top 10 fishing ports ranked by value of 

landings. 

Alaska’s coastal communities are uniquely dependent on living marine 

resources and healthy marine ecosystems. The seafood industry is Alaska’s 

largest private sector employer, accounting for one in every seven Alaska 

jobs. In addition to the roles of commercial and recreational fishing, 

subsistence fishing serves as an irreplaceable source of food and protein 

for much of rural Alaska and is interwoven into the cultural identity of 

Alaska Natives. The dynamic mix of sport, commercial, and subsistence 

fisheries, along with overlapping state and federal jurisdictions and 

regulations, underscores the importance of a strong working relationship 

with our state partner agencies. 

The geographic proximity to foreign countries provides an added 

component to interagency cooperation and international relations. The 

commercial fisheries include significant levels of complexity, in that 

international relations, regulations, and treaties all play roles in developing 

enforcement goals, policies, and multi-jurisdictional enforcement strategies. 

International relations extend to some Alaska sport fisheries as well. For 

example, halibut enforcement is handled cooperatively by both state and 

federal enforcement agencies, but it is regulated by an international treaty 

(International Pacific Halibut Commission). 

Amidst the regulatory and geographic complexities faced by AKD, the 

region’s diversity in terrain, challenging weather, and long distances 

constantly challenge the effective use of fishery enforcement resources in 

Alaska.

645

VMS 

Vessels

Staffing snapshot:

30 Full-Time Employees 

• 10 Special Agents

• 13 Enforcement Officers 

• 3 Mission Support 

• 4 Investigative Support

3 Contractors

AKD Budget: $3.6 million

AKD JEA Funding: $1.1 million

Headquarters:

709 W. 9th Street

Room 831L

Juneau, AK 99802-1767

Field Offices: 

Anchorage

Dutch Harbor 

Homer

Juneau

Ketchikan

Kodiak 

Petersburg

Seward

Sitka

WILL ELLIS

Assistant Director

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 13

Alaska Division
14 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

Working with Regional Partners

Alaska’s vast region, limited 

infrastructure, and complex 

fisheries management scheme 

necessitate robust interagency 

partnerships. These partnerships 

act as a force multiplier to 

maximize our enforcement footprint 

and minimize duplication of 

effort. To make the most of this 

partnership, effective interagency 

cooperation across the spectrum 

of Alaska fisheries enforcement 

operations is a top priority for 

AKD. Regional partners include the 

U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Wildlife 

Troopers and Department of Fish 

and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, U.S. Forest Service, NOAA 

Fisheries Office of Sustainable 

Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries Office 

of Protected Resources, industry 

groups, and tribal governments.

Projected Growth

Since the development of the OLE 

Staffing Plan, which was finalized 

and approved in May 2016, AKD 

has gained five enforcement 

officers. Investigative support 

and mission support personnel 

numbers have remained consistent 

based on attrition, with a loss and 

gain of two staff members. The 

Staffing Plan calls for 13 additional 

personnel, which will bring the total 

number of AKD employees to 47. 

Significant Outreach Efforts

• As part of our annual compliance

outreach, two enforcement

officers staffed the OLE booth

at the 2016 Great Alaska

Sportsman’s Show, the largest

outdoor sport show in Alaska.

The officers educated the public

on charter halibut, marine

mammal parts, and general

questions about OLE.

• Public concerns about an

aggressive Steller sea lion in

Sitka, Alaska, were addressed

this fiscal year. After OLE received

reports of anglers feeding sea

lions and a call from a resident

who had been charged by a sea

lion at the cleaning station, an

OLE agent visited the station to

investigate. The agent identified

an aggressive sea lion, which

led to arrangements with local

authorities to video surveil the

station. The OLE agent also

worked with NOAA Protected

Resources Division and local law

enforcement to post OLE signage

around the station and to address

the community through media and

outreach events.

• During the second quarter,

compliance and outreach

letters were sent to Catcher

Processors owners/operators

and Cooperative managers

in the Gulf of Alaska. These

letters addressed a significant

increase in reported violations for

observer safety, recordkeeping

and reporting, interference, and

prohibited species mishandling.

The goal of this correspondence

was to advise all parties of OLE

compliance concerns and to

improve compliance through

education.

Lacey Act

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA)

Other Federal Law/Regulation

Northern Pacific Halibut Act

Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA)

15

20

41

78

972

1,582

Closed

Compliance Assistance Provided

Ongoing

Other

Sent to GCES for Prosecution

Summary Settlement 

Written Warning

1835 67

220

4

366

110 107

Investigation Dispositions

Alaska Division

Incidents by Law, Regulation, or Program
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 15

Significant Investigations

Lacey Act

Between June 28, 2010, and May 

20, 2013, Charles Petticrew, Sr., 

and Charles “Jeff” Petticrew, Jr., 

conspired to falsify fishing locations 

on Alaska Department of Fish and 

Game (ADF&G) Longline Fishery 

Logbook entries, individual fishing 

quota (IFQ) landing permits, and 

ADF&G Halibut Tickets. The reports 

falsely indicated that the anglers 

fished in a different IFQ area than 

they were actually fishing. The 

defendants illegally caught halibut 

valued at more than $23,000 and 

falsified the IFQ records. Both 

defendants admitted their crimes 

and pleaded guilty to charges 

related to violations of the Lacey 

Act while fishing for halibut in the 

Gulf of Alaska. Charles Petticrew 

pleaded guilty to a single felony 

count of conspiracy to falsify 

IFQ records and was sentenced 

to pay a $90,000 fine and was 

placed on probation for 5 years. 

Jeff Petticrew pleaded guilty to 

a single misdemeanor count for 

violating the Lacey Act by falsifying 

IFQ records and was sentenced 

to pay a $10,000 fine and placed 

on probation for 5 years. Both 

defendants agreed to pay for and 

install a VMS on each vessel used 

by the defendants or any other 

vessels used on behalf of the family 

corporation.

OLE completed an investigation in 

which the owner of a vessel was 

purchasing sport and subsistence 

halibut from three fishermen and 

selling the halibut in his restaurant. 

All four subjects pleaded guilty to 

Lacey Act misdemeanor violations. 

The owner was fined $5,000, the 

sport fisherman was fined $3,500, 

and the subsistence fishermen 

were collectively fined $8,500. All 

parties were placed on probation.

Magnuson-Stevens Act 

OLE concluded an investigation 

into a case involving multiple 

complaints of observer harassment 

and intimidation on the F/V 

Aleutian Sable. The complaints 

occurred over the course of a 

year, demonstrating a pattern 

of harassment and intimidation, 

as well as other documented 

violations. On March 8, 2016, 

GCES issued an eight-count 

Notice of Violation and Assessment 

(NOVA) in the amount of $156,091. 

While OLE audited Charter 

Halibut Logbook data, more than 

250 violations were identified, 

including using/reporting invalid 

Charter Halibut Permit (CHP) in 

logbook, guide/crew retaining 

halibut, exceeding CHP fisherman 

limit, inaccurate CHP reported in 

logbook, reporting over daily bag 

limit in logbook, retention of halibut 

closed day in area 3A, submitting 

false catch information, fishing with 

invalid CHP, and fishing with a CHP 

on two boats during the same day. 

In total, 143 Summary Settlements 

were issued, totaling more than 

$80,000. Additional compliance 

assistance was offered to resolve 

more than 15 other incidents. 

Marine Mammal Protection Act

OLE received a call that an 

entangled whale was nearing the 

Homer Spit and dragging a buoy 

behind it. OLE, NOAA’s Protected 

Resources Division, the Homer 

Stranding Network, and the Alaska 

Sea-life Center quickly planned 

and executed a response to 

disentangle the whale. The team 

observed the juvenile humpback 

whale was highly distressed, 

entangled in a significant amount 

of pot gear, and injured. The team 

slowly removed and retrieved the 

ropes until the whale was freed 

from all entanglement. In the week 

that followed, OLE located and 

interviewed the owners of the 

gear that entangled the whale. No 

violations were identified. 
16 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
The Northeast Division (NED) is comprised of 20 states and covers more 

than 100,000 square nautical miles of the U.S. EEZ. Fish are landed in 

more than 500 ports along 1,000 miles of coastline. Four of the top 10 

international landing ports, by weight and value, are found in the NED—

New York, Portland (Maine), Boston, and Norfolk. 

Additionally, the NED has four of the top 10 states for domestic fish 

landings (measured by dollars) in the nation; this includes Massachusetts 

with the port of New Bedford, which has led the United States for 14 years 

as the top port in terms of value landed—a direct result of the scallop 

fishery. Scallop landings account for more than 81 percent of New Bedford 

seafood landings. The NED touts an $8 billion seafood import industry with 

2 billion pounds of seafood landings annually. 

On September 15, 2016, President Obama designated the first marine 

national monument in the Atlantic Ocean—the Northeast Canyons and 

Seamounts Marine National Monument—using his authority under the 

Antiquities Act of 1906. The monument is located approximately 130 

miles southeast of Cape Cod and covers a total area of more than 4,900 

square miles, which equates to the size of Connecticut. The Department 

of Commerce and the Department of the Interior share management 

responsibility for the monument. NOAA is responsible for managing 

activities and species within the monument under the Magnuson-Stevens 

Act, Endangered Species Act, and Marine Mammal Protection Act, and 

any other applicable Department of Commerce legal authorities. The two 

agencies will work cooperatively on management, and the proclamation 

allows 3 years to prepare a joint management plan. 

Working with Regional Partners

The NED has strong working relationships with the 10 coastal state 

fishery enforcement agencies under the Cooperative Enforcement 

Program (CEP). These relationships enable OLE to leverage resources and 

improve compliance with federal fishery regulations. In addition to state 

partners, NED works closely with two U.S. Coast Guard districts. Recent 

partnerships have expanded with key federal agencies, including the Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 

which are involved in ensuring consumer safety and integrity as it relates to 

seafood fraud. 

In an effort to enhance interagency cooperation and to better identify 

seafood fraud and IUU activities, the NED has initiated two seafood fraud 

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 17

Northeast Division

Staffing snapshot:

37 Full-Time Employees 

• 15 Special Agents

• 12 Enforcement Officers

• 6 Mission Support 

• 4 Investigative Support

5 Contractors

NED Budget: $7.7 million

NED JEA Funding: $5.6 million

Headquarters:

55 Great Republic Drive

Suite 02-300

Gloucester, MA 01930

Field Offices: 

Bellport, NY

Boston, MA

Ellsworth, ME

Falmouth, MA

Gloucester, MA

Marmora, NJ

New Bedford, MA

Newport News, VA

Portland, ME

Portsmouth, NH

Salisbury, MD

Scituate, MA

Wall, NJ 1,116 

VMS 

Vessels

TIM DONOVAN

Assistant Director
18 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

working groups, one in Boston area 

and the other in the New York-New 

Jersey area. The working groups 

are bringing together federal, state, 

and local resource agencies to 

facilitate interagency cooperation 

and information sharing. 

The Boston Seafood Fraud Working 

Group currently has approximately 

40 members from nine federal 

agencies and three state agencies. 

The NY/NJ Seafood Fraud Working 

Group has approximately 20 

members, from seven federal 

agencies. Collectively, the two 

working groups have initiated 

and conducted four multi-agency 

seaport cargo inspections. 

NED also works closely with two 

regional fishery management 

councils and one major interstate 

commission. The New England 

Fishery Management Council is 

one of eight regional councils 

established by the MagnusonStevens Act (MSA) and manages 

fishery resources within the EEZ 

off the coasts of Maine, New 

Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode 

Island, and Connecticut. The 

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management 

Council is responsible for 

management of fisheries in federal 

waters that occur predominantly 

off the mid-Atlantic coast. States 

with voting representation on the 

Mid-Atlantic Council include New 

York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, 

Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and 

North Carolina. 

NED provides support to the 

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries 

Commission. This group was 

formed by the 15 Atlantic coast 

states in 1942 in recognition that 

fish do not adhere to political 

boundaries. The Commission 

serves as a deliberative body, 

coordinating the conservation and 

management of the states shared 

near-shore fishery resources—

marine, shell, and anadromous—for 

sustainable use.

Projected Growth

Based on the OLE Staffing Plan, 

which was finalized and approved 

in May 2016, NED is expected to 

gain 10 additional staff members. 

In FY 2016, NED grew the number 

of permanent field office locations 

with the addition of a duty station 

in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is 

the first time OLE has placed 

anyone in the Great Lakes region. 

NED is prioritizing seafood 

imports throughout the area of 

responsibility, with particular 

interest in the Great Lakes and New 

York/New Jersey areas. 

Significant Outreach Efforts

• NED sworn personnel provided

guidance on enforcing the MMPA,

as well as participating in at-sea

patrols, during a whale stranding

incident in Moriches Bay, New

York. OLE partnered with the New

York JEA, USCG, local stranding

network, and NOAA’s Protected

Resources Division. The incident

developed into a politically

sensitive event that garnered

significant media attention. The

Governor of New York, one New

York State Senator, and local

government officials were present

during parts of the incident.

Atlantic Coastal Fish Cooperative

Management Act (ACFCMA)

Atlantic Tuna

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Lacey Act

Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA)

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA)

Marine Sanctuaries Act

Other Federal Law/Regulation

Incidents by Law, Regulation, or Program

198

206

31

33

936

95

1

82

Closed

Compliance Assistance Provided 

Ongoing 

Sent to GCES for Prosecution

Summary Settlement 

Written Warning 1176

69

150

74

51 62

Investigation Dispositions

Northeast Division
Significant Investigations

Magnuson-Stevens Act

The NOAA Administrator denied 

the respondent’s petition for review 

and upheld the Administrative Law 

Judge’s (ALJ) decision in finding 

that Anthony & Enzo, Inc. and the 

owner violated the MSA when, in 

January 2013, the F/V Princess 

Laura was found to be operating 

with an obstructed net or mesh 

sizes that were too small. For 

this violation the ALJ assessed a 

penalty of $20,000, imposed jointly 

and severally against the vessel 

owner and operator. 

The NOAA Administrator denied 

the respondent’s petition for review 

and upheld the ALJ’s decision 

in finding that the F/V Princess 

Elena, Inc. and the owner violated 

the MSA when, in August 2012, 

the F/V Capt. Joe was found to 

be operating an obstructed net or 

mesh sizes that were too small. For 

this violation the ALJ assessed a 

penalty of $40,000, imposed jointly 

and severally against the vessel 

owner and operator. 

In June 2016, James Kaminsky, 

a fisherman from Mattituck, New 

York, pleaded guilty to federal 

felonies stemming from his role 

in systematically covering up 

the landing and sale of illegal 

fluke (summer flounder), scup, 

and black sea bass that were 

overharvested in violation of New 

York state quotas and the federal 

Research Set-Aside Program. 

Kaminsky pleaded guilty to one 

count of aiding and abetting false 

documents in connection with a 

scheme that ran from May through 

August 2011. A second charge was 

the result of false statements that 

Kaminsky made to NOAA criminal 

investigators during a November 

2014 proffer session with a federal 

prosecutor. 

A $30,000 NOVA was issued to 

a crewmember for an observer 

harassment violation. The observer 

reported that the crewmember 

made multiple, verbal advances 

of a sexual nature. The observer 

rejected the unwanted and 

unwelcome behavior, which 

resulted in further verbal 

harassment from the crewmember.

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

OLE met Canadian partners at the 

Calais, Maine, border crossing 

to arrest Gregory Logan of 

Woodman’s Point, New Brunswick. 

Logan was turned over to OLE by 

the Royal Canadian Mounted Police 

after a 3-year extradition process 

from Canada. He was transported 

to the U.S. District Court in Bangor, 

Maine, and arraigned on numerous 

counts of smuggling, money 

laundering, and conspiracy. Logan 

smuggled more than 250 narwhal 

tusks in hidden compartments from 

Canada into the United States and 

laundered the proceeds through 

U.S. banks back into Canada. 

IUU Fishing and Seafood Fraud

Legacy Seafood Inc. pleaded 

guilty in October 2016 to criminal 

information charging one count 

of misdemeanor misbranding 

of codfish. The company was 

sentenced to pay a restitution 

penalty of $25,000 to the 

victim company. Between July 

and December 2011, Legacy 

contracted with a national grocery 

store chain to supply frozen-at-sea 

Icelandic cod fillets. Between those 

dates Legacy supplied a repacking 

facility with approximately 122,328 

pounds of Russian-caught 

frozen-at-sea codfish, which was 

labeled “product of Russia” with 

an approximate market value in 

excess of $750,000, and caused 

that product to be shipped in 

interstate commerce to the national 

grocery store chain as a product of 

Iceland. 

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 19
20 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
The Pacific Islands Division (PID) was established in October 2004 and is 

geographically the largest division in OLE. Bound by the Hawaiian Islands 

in the north, American Samoa and U.S. Pacific remote island areas in the 

south, and the Mariana Archipelago, including Guam in the west, the Pacific 

Islands Division encompasses the largest geographical management area 

within both NOAA Fisheries and the regional fishery management council 

system. The total area of the U.S. EEZ waters included in the region is more 

than 1.5 million square nautical miles, which accounts for nearly half of the 

entire U.S. EEZ. 

Within this massive marine area is the Papahānaumokuākea Marine 

National Monument (PMNM), which OLE is charged with protecting. 

The area of PMNM quadrupled in size in August 2016 and is now nearly 

583,000 square miles. In addition to PMNM, the division is also charged 

with protecting the Marianas Trench, the Pacific Remote Islands, and the 

Rose Atoll Marine National Monuments. 

PID regularly conducts tuna investigations, along with investigations 

involving other highly migratory species. The various longline and purse 

seine vessels within the U.S. permitted fleet operate extensively throughout 

established U.S. and foreign EEZs in the Pacific, and in international 

waters. The need to effectively monitor these U.S. vessels, along with 

foreign vessels that engage in IUU fishing in these vast waters, poses a 

unique enforcement challenge for PID.

With the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA) entering into force, PID 

has served as the center of activity for implementation of both domestic 

and international responsibilities. While the standards outlined in PSMA 

have long been used by OLE, there have been minor adjustments 

with communications and coordination with other agencies, as well 

as new reporting guidelines to the vessel’s flag state and relevant 

RFMO. Numerous PID sworn personnel have traveled overseas to train 

international partners on the intricacies of the PSMA and how to effectively 

apply the standards to prevent IUU fish from entering into U.S. commerce. 

PID is also a home to numerous marine mammals and endangered species. 

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is 

adjacent to the main Hawaiian Islands, and during Humpback whale 

season this puts large numbers of ocean users close to these protected 

animals. In addition, several endangered species of sea turtles, Hawaiian 

monk seals, and spinner dolphins frequent the waters and beaches 

Pacific Islands Division

Staffing snapshot:

27 Full-Time Employees 

• 9 Special Agents

• 8 Enforcement Officers

• 4 Mission Support 

• 6 Investigative Support

0 Contractors

PID Budget: $4.3 million

PID JEA Funding: $1.3 million

Headquarters:

1845 Wasp Blvd.

Building 176

Honolulu, HI 96818

Field Offices: 

American Samoa

Guam

Honolulu, HI

268 

VMS 

Vessels

BILL PICKERING

Assistant Director

U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 21
22 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

throughout the region. Managing 

human interactions with these 

species and protecting them from 

harassment and harm place great 

demands on the division’s assets. 

Working with Regional Partners

The extensive landing/importation 

and processing of fish within 

Guam, American Samoa, and the 

Commonwealth of the Northern 

Mariana Islands (CNMI), and 

landings by U.S. purse seine 

vessels in foreign ports, present 

significant challenges to PID. 

The division works closely with 

the governments of the foreign 

nations that make up the region, 

the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. 

Department of State in supporting 

and enforcing a number of treaties 

and conventions, such as the 

South Pacific Tuna Treaty, Western 

and Central Pacific Fisheries 

Commission, South Pacific 

Regional Fisheries Management 

Organization, Inter-American 

Tropical Tuna Commission, and 

Convention on the Conservation of 

Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

Projected Growth 

Since the development of the OLE 

Staffing Plan, which was finalized 

and approved in May 2016, PID 

has gained five employees—two 

investigative support specialists 

and three enforcement officers. 

The staffing plan calls for three 

additional personnel. 

Significant Outreach Efforts

• OLE staff from the PID, Alaska 

Division, and Headquarters 

conducted a 2-week IUU 

fishing enforcement workshop 

in Manila, Philippines. 

Participants included maritime 

law enforcement staff from the 

Philippines, Indonesia, and 

Malaysia. The training consisted 

of an introduction to RFMOs 

and applicable conservation 

management measures. The 

training was hosted by the U.S. 

State Department International 

Narcotics and Law Enforcement 

Program, Philippine Coast Guard, 

and Bureau of Fisheries Aquatic 

Resources. 

• PID personnel, along with JEA 

partners from State of Hawaii 

Department of Conservation 

and Enforcement, attended the 

public meetings held on Oahu, 

Kauai, and Maui concerning 

proposed regulations under the 

Marine Mammal Protection Act, 

which prohibits swimming with 

or approaching within 50 yards 

of Hawaiian spinner dolphins. 

The regulations are designed 

to reduce human activities 

that result in a take of spinner 

dolphins. 

• A special agent attended a 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 

Reserve Advisory Council 

meeting at the NOAA Inouye 

Regional Center. The main 

topic of discussion was the 

newly expanded area of the 

Papahānaumokuākea Marine 

National Monument. The agent 

provided operationally based 

responses about protection and 

patrolling of the expended area.

66

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Lacey Act

Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA)

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA)

Marine Sanctuaries Act

Other Federal Law/Regulation

Incidents by Law, Regulation, or Program

131

9

416

64

77

Closed

Compliance Assistance Provided

Ongoing

Other

Sent to GCES for Prosecution

Summary Settlement

Written Warning

660

65

3 3

1

6

25

Investigation Dispositions

Pacific Islands Division
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 23

Significant Investigations

Lacey Act

OLE uncovered wildlife smuggling 

and trafficking activities 

perpetrated by a Honolulu-based 

business, Hawaii Accessories, Inc. 

Following a joint OLE and U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service investigation, 

the company and five individuals 

were indicted for conspiring 

to illegally import whale bone 

carvings, walrus ivory carvings, 

black coral carvings, and other 

products derived from protected 

species of wildlife into the United 

States. The 21-count indictment 

included charges of conspiracy to 

smuggle, smuggling, Lacey Act 

trafficking, Lacey Act mislabeling, 

and export smuggling. The U.S. 

District Court for the District of 

Hawaii sentenced the president 

and CEO to 6 months in federal 

prison, 3 years of supervised 

release, and a $40,000 fine. He 

also surrendered approximately 

$100,000 of merchandise to the 

U.S. Government. The Court 

placed the corporation on 5 years 

of probation and fined it $50,000. 

Other defendants also received 

fines, home detention, and 

probation.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

OLE completed an investigation 

involving the crew of a U.S. flagged 

purse seine fishing vessel that 

illegally set gear on live whales 

during a November 2013 fishing 

operation in the South Pacific. 

GCES issued an eight-count NOVA 

in the amount of $88,000.

Magnuson-Stevens Act

OLE completed an investigation 

involving a Hawaii-based longline 

fishing vessel, in which the captain 

allegedly fished within the high seas 

with an expired High Seas Fishing 

Compliance Act permit and an 

expired WCPFC area endorsement. 

A $6,296.75 Summary Settlement 

notice was issued.

National Marine Sanctuaries

GCES issued a NOVA in the 

amount of $49,012.59 to the 

F/V Fetuolemoana, an American 

Samoa-based longline vessel that 

was found to have unlawfully fished 

in the Rose Atoll National Marine 

Monument and the American 

Samoa Large Vessel Prohibited 

Area, which is reserved for the local 

traditional Alia fleet. 

OLE completed an investigation 

and issued a $1,500 Summary 

Settlement to the owner/operator 

of a Hawaii-based longline fishing 

vessel. The vessel allegedly did 

not make the proper notifications 

before entering and exiting the 

Papahānaumokuākea Marine 

National Monument and also failed 

to submit logbooks to the Pacific 

Islands Fisheries Science Center 

within the allotted 72 hours.
24 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 25

The Southeast Division (SED) is comprised of eight coastal states, 

extending from Texas to North Carolina, and also includes Puerto Rico 

and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SED is responsible for enforcing regulations 

mandated by three regional fishery management councils, the conservation 

and protection of three national marine sanctuaries, and ensuring 

compliance with commercial and federal recreational laws and regulations 

throughout nearly 350,000 square miles of EEZ.

SED covers more than 3,160 miles of coastline, second only to AKD. 

However, the SED coastline offers a vastly greater number of potential 

landing sites where commercial and recreational vessels have the ability 

to land economically important species, such as red snapper and grouper, 

and IFQ managed fish stocks, swordfish, tuna, and other federally regulated 

species.

SED also has the largest recreational fisheries sector in the continental 

United States. In 2015, SED accounted for nearly 60 percent of the more 

than 61 million recreational fishing trips taken by U.S. anglers. Making the 

necessary number of contacts to ensure compliance in this sector poses a 

huge enforcement challenge.

SED also has a robust commercial industry. In 2015, federally permitted 

vessels conducted more than 178,247 trips totaling $610,414,051 in 

revenue. SED also has the fifth (Louisiana), sixth (Florida), and seventh 

(Texas) ranked states for domestic fish landings in the United States. Four 

of the top 10 international landing ports, by weight and value, are found in 

this region—Miami, Savannah, Galveston, and Tampa—as well as the ports 

of entry on the U.S.-Mexico border. Among the most common imports 

found in this region are tuna, shrimp, and crab.

Working with Regional Partners

To accomplish its mission, SED works closely with the NOAA Fisheries 

Southeast Regional Office and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, 

and two interstate marine fisheries commissions, as well as local, state, 

territorial, and federal agency partners.

One of the partners that SED works with is the South Atlantic Fishery 

Management Council, which is charged with managing fisheries off the 

coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. 

Southeast Division

Staffing snapshot:

34 Full-Time Employees 

• 18 Special Agents

• 8 Enforcement Officers

• 2 Mission Support 

• 6 Investigative Support

3 Contractors

SED Budget: $6.7 million

SED JEA Funding: $5.3 million

Headquarters:

263 13th Avenue South

St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Field Offices: 

Charleston, SC

Corpus Christi, TX

Houston/Galveston, TX

Marathon, FL

Miami/Sunrise, FL

Morehead City, NC 

New Orleans, LA

Panama City, FL

Port Orange, FL

San Juan, Puerto Rico

St. Petersburg, FL

1,091 

VMS 

Vessels

TRACY DUNN

Assistant Director
26 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

The main partner program 

providing the SED with the means 

to increase patrol, monitoring, 

and inspection services is the 

Cooperative Enforcement Program 

(CEP). Seven states and two 

territories have entered into Joint 

Enforcement Agreements (JEAs), 

conferring state and territorial 

officers the authority to enforce 

federal regulations under NOAA’s 

jurisdiction.

Projected Growth 

Since the development of the OLE 

Staffing Plan, which was finalized 

and approved in May 2016, SED 

has gained eight employees—two 

investigative support specialists 

and six enforcement officers. The 

staffing plan calls for 12 additional 

personnel. 

In FY 2016, SED also increased 

the number of permanent field 

office locations with the addition 

of the ports of Savannah, Georgia; 

Jacksonville, Cape Canaveral, 

West Palm Beach, Miami, and Fort 

Myers, Florida; San Juan, Puerto 

Rico; Mobile, Alabama; Houma, 

Louisiana; and Houston, Texas. 

These additional locations ensure 

OLE personnel are geographically 

positioned to more effectively 

support the office mission, division 

priorities, and industry needs, with 

the availability of rapid deployment 

in cases of emergency. 

Significant Outreach Efforts

• A special agent participated in a 

Flower Garden Banks National 

Marine Sanctuary Boundary 

Expansion Working Group 

meeting. The group discussed 

issues raised by the Gulf of 

Mexico Fishery Management 

Council regarding the expansion. 

The agent provided information 

to the group regarding the 

enforceability of recommended 

regulations. 

• Enforcement officers participated 

in the St. Petersburg Science 

Festival to educate local students 

on protected sea turtles and 

turtle excluder devices (TED). A 

full shrimp trawl with an installed 

TED was set up for students to 

crawl through and escape.

• Special agents participated in a 

multiday entangled bottlenose 

dolphin rescue on South Padre 

Island, Texas. Working with 

teams from SeaWorld Orlando, 

SeaWorld San Antonio, and the 

Texas Marine Mammal Stranding 

Network, the agents captured 

the dolphin to remove the fishing 

gear. The dolphin was treated 

and assessed by an on-scene 

veterinarian, and then released. 

After release a special agent 

provided compliance assistance 

to local dolphin-watch and fishing 

operations to help them prevent 

illegal feeding of dolphins.

18

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Lacey Act

Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA)

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA)

Marine Sanctuaries Act

Other Federal Law/Regulation

Incidents by Law, Regulation, or Program

107

50

494

17

4

265

Closed

Compliance Assistance Provided

Ongoing

Sent to GCES for Prosecution

Summary Settlement

Written Warning

302

200

7

8

19

154

Investigation Dispositions

Southeast Division
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 27

Significant Investigations

Endangered Species Act

On September 16, 2013, U.S. 

Customs and Border Protection 

(CBP) conducted a routine border 

security patrol off the coast of St. 

Thomas, Virgin Islands, when the 

crew encountered a dinghy with 

one person on board returning from 

sea. After the vessel was stopped, 

the CBP Marine Interdiction Agents 

saw several conchs, a red cooler 

with a speared fish, and fishing 

gear. When a CBP agent asked 

the dinghy operator what was in 

the cooler, the contents of the 

cooler were dumped overboard. 

Although the operator claimed he 

just dumped conchs and speared 

lobsters, the CBP agent could see 

a turtle carcass lying on the ocean 

floor. The turtle was recovered 

and later identified as a green sea 

turtle. The evidence was collected 

on-scene and turned over for 

investigation by an OLE special 

agent from the Aguadilla, Puerto 

Rico, field office. The investigation 

resulted in the indictment of the 

operator on three counts, including 

an ESA violation for the illegal 

take and possession of an ESAlisted species, the destruction or 

removal of evidence, and a Lacey 

Act charge for the illegal take and 

transportation of the green sea 

turtle. The operator entered a guilty 

plea to one count of the indictment 

and was sentenced to 45 days of 

intermittent confinement, a 5-year 

term of probation, and 200 hours of 

community service.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

The owner/operator of the M/V 

Cosco New York agreed to settle 

the NOVA assessed against them 

for violations of speed restrictions. 

The owner/operator of the vessel 

agreed to pay $40,250, the full 

amount of the assessed penalty. 

The OLE investigation revealed the 

vessel had been used to transit 

over 90 miles within Seasonal 

Management Areas off of the East 

Coast, enacted for the protection of 

North Atlantic right whales, and had 

previously received a compliance 

assistance letter from OLE that 

warned the operator of prior 

violations.

Magnuson-Stevens Act

GCES issued a $62,625 NOVA 

to Holly Trading, Inc., of Oakland 

Park, Florida. The OLE investigation 

documented 114 imports of sharks/

shark fins between January 1, 

2011, and March 3, 2015, without 

the required International Trade 

Permit (ITP) in violation of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Lacey Act

As part of his plea agreement 

and conviction, Phillip Gould 

surrendered his federal shark 

dealer permit and commercial 

shark incidental permit to OLE. 

Gould pleaded guilty to Lacey 

Act violations involving the illegal 

purchase of live sharks and other 

marine life harvested from the 

Florida Keys National Marine 

Sanctuary, and then placing the 

illegal marine life in interstate 

commerce through sales to public 

aquariums and zoos.

Dan Lin, a naturalized citizen 

from China, pleaded guilty to 

illegally exporting approximately 

a half ton of spiny lobsters from 

August to September 2010. Lin 

was sentenced to a 3-year term of 

probation. Lin was vice president, 

director, and co-owner of a Florida 

corporation engaged in the export 

of live Florida spiny lobsters to 

markets in China without a valid 

Florida Wholesale Dealer’s license. 

A co-defendant, Eric Burman, 

was sentenced in August 2014 to 

pay a $250,000 fine and a 3-year 

term of probation. Burman and his 

company allowed Lin to package 

and ship the unreported spiny 

lobster harvested in Florida Keys 

through the company in Pompano 

Beach, Florida, to Hong Kong, 

China.

As part of a criminal striped bass 

Lacey Act investigation out of 

North Carolina, the Circuit Court 

of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, 

reinstated the indictments of four 

individuals based on an appeal by 

the government. The government 

appealed the case after the District 

Court dismissed the indictments, 

citing the Lacey Act’s exemption of 

activities regulated by a fisheries 

management plan under the MSA. 

The published Court of Appeals 

opinion stated that, because 

striped bass regulations were 

promulgated from an authority 

other than the MSA, those 

regulations could be used as 

underlying violations of the Lacey 

Act. The case was then sent back 

to the lower court. 
28 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 29

The West Coast Division (WCD) encompasses the coastal states of 

Washington, Oregon, and California. The area of responsibility also extends 

inland to Idaho, North and South Dakota, and Montana. 

This unique division shares borders with Canada and Mexico, has five 

national marine sanctuaries along its coast, and includes 290 Marine 

Conservation Areas. The WCD is responsible for 1,293 miles of Pacific 

coastline and 7,863 miles of tidal shoreline, 222,471 nautical miles of EEZ, 

and 339,375 square miles of land encompassing numerous rivers and 

tributaries feeding into the Pacific Ocean.

Two of the top 10 international landing ports, by weight and value, are 

found in the WCD—Seattle and Los Angeles. Additionally, there are 16 

other international airports and 21 major international seaports monitored 

by the WCD. 

Throughout the WCD are managed fisheries for salmon and steelhead, 

more than 90 species of groundfish, coastal pelagics such as anchovy 

and sardine, and highly migratory species such as billfish, sharks, and 

tunas. WCD also includes a number of ESA-listed species, including the 

Southern Resident Killer Whale population in the Puget Sound. The division 

is responsible for protecting ESA-listed species critical habitats from harm 

caused by stream alteration, water depletion, and drought conditions.

Working with Regional Partners

The number of violations detected throughout the WCD exceeds the 

division’s capacity to investigate them. The division’s enforcement officers 

and special agents leverage federal partners and Cooperative Enforcement 

Program (CEP) to address these violations. Federal partners like the U.S. 

Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency help the division identify 

and investigate incidents at sea, in critical habitat, and on the borders. 

State law enforcement partners, through the CEP, are given authority and 

responsibility to conduct patrols and outreach in areas where division 

resources are scarce. 

An integral part of OLE’s enforcement effort is done through education and 

outreach efforts. Ensuring the general public has the latest information is 

of the utmost importance to maintaining sustainability and conservation 

standards. 

West Coast Division

Staffing snapshot:

29 Full-Time Employees 

• 10 Special Agents

• 4 Enforcement Officers

• 6 Mission Support 

• 9 Investigative Support

0 Contractors

WCD Budget: $5.4 million

WCD JEA Funding: $2.6 million

Headquarters:

7600 Sand Point Way NE

Seattle, WA 98115

Field Offices: 

Alameda, CA

Arcata, CA

Astoria, OR

Bellingham, WA

Coos Bay, OR

Lacey, WA

Long Beach, CA

Monterey, CA

Newport, OR

Portland, OR

Sacramento, CA

San Diego, CA

Santa Rosa, CA

Seattle, WA 

Westport, WA 1,168 

VMS 

Vessels

BILL GILES 

Assistant Director
30 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

Projected Growth

Since the development of the OLE 

Staffing Plan, which was finalized 

and approved in May 2016, WCD 

has grown by three investigative 

support personnel. The staffing 

plan calls for the addition of 29 

personnel, which includes 13 

enforcement officers and eight 

special agents. 

In FY 2016, WCD also grew the 

number of permanent field office 

locations with the addition of 

Clarkston, Washington, and Morro 

Bay and Ventura, California. These 

additional locations ensure OLE 

personnel are geographically 

positioned to more effectively 

support the office mission, division 

priorities, and industry needs, with 

the availability of rapid deployment 

in cases of emergency. 

Significant Outreach Efforts

• Enforcement officers attended a 

public meeting about recreational 

halibut fishing and retention of 

rockfish in Newport, Oregon. 

The meeting was also attended 

by Oregon State Police Fish and 

Wildlife Division. This meeting 

presented an opportunity to have 

an open dialogue with the public 

and update attendees on the OLE 

staffing plan. 

• The WCD attended the North 

Sound Intergovernmental 

Tribal/State Natural Resource 

Enforcement Meeting in Bow, 

Washington. The meeting was 

attended by five area tribes 

in addition to the Washington 

Department of Fish and 

Wildlife. Presenters discussed 

several recent joint state/tribal 

investigations of seafood and 

shellfish poaching, as examples 

of what went well and what can 

be improved. OLE requested 

assistance with encouraging 

reporting of marine mammal 

takes. OLE also discussed the 

commercial fisheries exemption 

to the Southern Resident Killer 

Whale vessel rules and how the 

exemption only applies while 

vessels are actively fishing.

69

Endangered Species Act (ESA)

Lacey Act

Magnuson Stevens Act (MSA)

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(MMPA)

Marine Sanctuaries Act

Other Federal Law/Regulation

Incidents by Law, Regulation, or Program

34

17

159

140

17

265

Closed

Compliance Assistance Provided

Ongoing

Other

Sent to GCES for Prosecution 

Summary Settlement

Written Warning

296

114

2 3

7

1

13

Investigation Dispositions

West Coast Division
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 31

Significant Investigations

CITES

A shipment marked “dried shark 

skin” was inspected by OLE 

while in transit at Seattle-Tacoma 

International Airport and was found 

to be shark fins. The shipment 

originated from Guatemala and was 

destined for Hong Kong. Further 

inspection by a shark identification 

expert revealed the dried shark fins 

were from hammerhead sharks, 

which are prohibited species. More 

than 2,200 pounds of shark fins 

were seized. OLE was the lead 

agency for this investigation and 

worked with Guatemalan officials. 

GCES issued a NOVA to the 

respondents. The case resulted in 

forfeiture of the entire shipment of 

shark fins to the United States. 

A shipment of fish maw (swim 

bladders) was inspected by U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service inspectors 

while in transit at Los Angeles 

International Airport and was found 

to be dried shark fins. The shipment 

originated from Mexico and was 

destined for Hong Kong. Further 

inspection by a shark identification 

expert revealed the shark fins were 

from hammerhead sharks, which 

are prohibited species. More than 

600 pounds of shark fins were 

seized. OLE was the lead agency 

for the investigation and worked 

with Homeland Security and the 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 

August 2016, a U.S. District Court 

Judge ordered the product to be 

forfeited to the United States.

Endangered Species Act

In March 2016, Olga and Jose 

Jimenez were ordered to pay 

$9,000 in restitution to the 

Government of Mexico for illegally 

smuggling 911 sea turtle eggs into 

the United States. The olive and 

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle eggs had 

been placed in a large cooler in 

Nayarit, Mexico, and transported 

by one of the defendants to 

Tijuana, Mexico, where they were 

placed in two smaller coolers 

and concealed under layers of 

ice and fish. Due to the couple’s 

inability to pay, the court ordered 

each individual to pay $25 per 

month. Both had previously been 

sentenced to 6 months of jail time, 

which began on June 17, 2016.

A Los Angeles-based individual 

pleaded guilty in San Diego federal 

court to one count of smuggling 

totoaba swim bladders into the 

United States from Mexico. In May 

2014, the defendant arranged for 

drivers to pick up swim bladders 

and drive them to Koreatown Los 

Angeles.

An investigation into a U.K. citizen 

and a Napa, California, subject who 

conspired to smuggle protected 

wildlife products labeled as 

household goods from Europe into 

the Port of Oakland concluded. 

The U.K. citizen appeared before 

a federal judge in the Northern 

District of California for his 

sentence hearing. The defendant 

pleaded guilty to a single wildlife 

smuggling count and received a 

$73,000 fine, 3 years of probation, 

and restriction from entry into the 

United States for a period of 1 year.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

A couple from California and two 

of their import and distribution 

companies were sentenced after 

previously pleading guilty to a 

wide variety of criminal activity. 

The charges included smuggling 

harp seal oil into the United States 

from China, falsely classifying 

goods to avoid import duties, and 

importing mislabeled food into the 

United States from China. Lynn 

Leung received a $20,000 fine, 

5 years of probation, and 1 year 

home detention. Leung’s husband, 

Daniel Fu, received a $20,000 fine, 

5 years of probation, and 6 months 

home detention. One company 

was ordered to pay $1.29 million 

($230,000 fine and $941,000 

forfeiture of proceeds derived from 

criminal activity), and $119,000 in 

restitution to the CBP for import 

duties it avoided as a result of 

the criminal scheme. The second 

company was ordered to pay a 

$30,000 fine. 

Lacey Act

A transshipment of 1,122 pounds of 

dried fish maw at Seattle-Tacoma 

International Airport was inspected 

by OLE and approximately 660 

pounds of dried shark fins were 

found hidden within the shipment. 

The shipper is from Chile and 

the consignee is located in Hong 

Kong. The dried shark fins were 

seized. OLE worked closely with 

Chilean officials in determining the 

shipment was mislabeled contrary 

to Chilean laws. GCES issued a 

NOVA to the respondents. The case 

resulted in the forfeiture of the dried 

shark fins to the United States. 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 

(16 U.S.C. 1531-1543). This 

act prohibits the importation, 

exportation, taking, and 

commercialization in interstate 

or foreign commerce of fish, 

wildlife, and plants that are listed 

as threatened or endangered 

species. The act also implements 

the provisions of the Convention on 

International Trade in Endangered 

Species (CITES). 

Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 

(16 U.S.C. 3371-3378). This 

act prohibits the importation, 

exportation, transportation, sale, 

or purchase of fish, wildlife, or 

plants taken or possessed in 

violation of state, federal, tribal, 

and foreign laws. It also authorizes 

the Secretary of the Interior to 

designate injurious wildlife and 

ensure the humane treatment 

of wildlife shipped to the United 

States. Originally enacted in 1900, 

the Lacey Act is the nation’s oldest 

federal wildlife protection law. 

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery 

Conservation and Management 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1801-1882). This 

act is the primary law governing 

marine fisheries management in 

U.S. federal waters. First passed 

in 1976, the MSA fosters longterm biological and economic 

sustainability of our nation’s 

marine fisheries within the U.S. 

EEZ. Key objectives of the MSA 

are to prevent overfishing, rebuild 

overfished stocks, increase longterm economic and social benefits, 

and ensure a safe and sustainable 

supply of seafood. 

Marine Mammal Protection Act 

of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361-1407). 

This act establishes a moratorium 

on the take and importation of 

marine mammals, including parts 

and products, and defines federal 

responsibilities for the conservation 

of marine mammals. The 

Department of Commerce through 

the National Marine Fisheries 

Service is charged with protecting 

whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, 

and sea lions. Walrus, manatees, 

otters, and polar bears are 

protected by the Department of the 

Interior through the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service. The Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service, 

a part of the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, is responsible for 

regulations managing marine 

mammals in captivity. 

National Marine Sanctuaries 

Act (16 U.S.C. 1431-1439). This 

act authorizes the Secretary of 

Commerce to designate and 

protect areas of the marine 

environment with special 

national significance due to 

their conservation, recreational, 

ecological, historical, scientific, 

Appendix

32 Office of Law Enforcement Annual Report FY16

NOAA’s Office of Law 

Enforcement is 

responsible for enforcing 

more than 35 federal 

statutes, with the majority 

of cases falling under 

the ESA, Lacey Act, MSA, 

MMPA, NMSA, and NPHA. 
U.S. Department of Commerce | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | National Marine Fisheries Service 33

cultural, archeological, educational, 

or esthetic qualities as national 

marine sanctuaries. Day-to-day 

management of national marine 

sanctuaries has been delegated 

by the Secretary of Commerce to 

NOAA’s Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries. The primary objective 

of the NMSA is to protect marine 

resources, such as coral reefs, 

sunken historical vessels, or unique 

habitats. 

Northern Pacific Halibut Act of 

1982 (16 U.S.C. 773-773k). This 

Act is the implementing legislation 

for the Convention between the 

United States and Canada for the 

Preservation of the Halibut Fishery 

of the Northern Pacific Ocean and 

Bering Sea. The Act authorizes 

the Secretary of State, with the 

concurrence of the Secretary of 

Commerce, to accept or reject 

on behalf of the United States the 

halibut fishery regulations and 

management recommendations 

developed by the International 

Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC). 

The Act also authorizes the North 

Pacific Fishery Management 

Council and the Pacific Fishery 

Management Council to develop, 

and the Secretary of Commerce 

to implement, additional halibut 

fishery regulations governing the 

U.S. portion of Convention waters. 

Ultimately, the Act was created to 

conserve, manage, and rebuild the 

halibut stocks in the Convention 

Area to those levels that would 

achieve and maintain the maximum 

sustainable yield from the fishery. 

Other Statutes and 

Responsibilities

Agreement on Port State Measures to 

Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, 

Unreported and Unregulated Fishing 

2015 (16 U.S.C. 7401-7409)

American Fisheries Act of 1998 (Pub. 

Law 105-277)

Anadromous Fish Products Act (16 

U.S.C. 1822 note, Section 801(f)) 

Antarctic Conservation Act of 1978 (16 

U.S.C. 2401-2413) 

Antarctic Marine Living Resources 

Convention Act of 1984 (16 U.S.C. 

2431-2444)

Antarctic Protection Act of 1990 (16 

U.S.C. 2465(a)) 

Antigua Convention Implementing Act of 

2015 (Pub. Law 114-181) 

Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative 

Management Act (16 U.S.C. 

5103(b)) 

Atlantic Salmon Convention Act of 1982

(16 U.S.C. 3601-3608) 

Atlantic Striped Bass Conservation Act

(16 U.S.C. 1851 note)

Atlantic Tunas Convention Act of 1975

(16 U.S.C. 971-971k)

Billfish Conservation Act of 2012 

(Pub. Law 112-183, 126 Stat. 

1422-1423)

Convention on the Conservation and 

Management of High Seas Fishery 

Resources in the South Pacific 2017

(16 U.S.C. 7801-7810)

Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources 

Act (30 U.S.C. 1401 et seq.) 

Dolphin Protection Consumer 

Information Act (16 U.S.C. 1385 et 

seq.) 

Driftnet Impact Monitoring, Assessment, 

and Control Act (16 U.S.C. 1822 

note, section 4006) 

Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt 

Wildlife Trafficking 2015 (16 U.S.C. 

7601-7644)

Fish and Seafood Promotion Act of 1986

(16 U.S.C. 4001-4017) 

Fisherman’s Protective Act of 1967 (22 

U.S.C. 1980(g)) 

Fur Seal Act Amendments of 1983 (16 

U.S.C. 1151-1175) 

High Seas Driftnet Fishing Moratorium 

Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 

1826(d)-1826(k)) 

High Seas Fishing Compliance Act (16 

U.S.C. 5506(a)) 

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated 

Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015

(Public Law 114-81)

Land Remote-Sensing Policy Act of 1992

(15 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.) 

North Pacific Anadromous Stocks 

Convention Act of 1992 (16 U.S.C. 

5002-5012) 

North Pacific Fisheries Convention 2017 

(16 U.S.C. 7701-7710)

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Convention 

Act of 1995 (16 U.S.C. 5601-5612) 

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Act 

of 1980 (42 U.S.C. 9101 et seq.) 

Pacific Albacore Tuna Treaty Act (Pub. 

Law 108-219, 118 Stat. 615- 617, 

16 U.S.C. 1821 note) 

Shark Conservation Act (Pub. Law 

111-348, 124 Stat. 3668-3673, 16 

U.S.C. 1801 note) 

Shark Finning Prohibition Act (Pub. 

Law 106-557, 114 Stat. 2772- 

2775, 16 U.S.C. 1822 note) 

South Pacific Tuna Act of 1988 (16 

U.S.C. 973-973r) 

Sponge Act (16 U.S.C. 781 et seq.) 

Tuna Conventions Act of 1950 (16 

U.S.C. §§ 951-961) 

Weather Modifications Reporting Act

(15 U.S.C. 330-330e) 

Western and Central Pacific Convention 

Implementation Act (16 U.S.C. 6901 

et seq.) 

Whaling Convention Act of 1949 (16 

U.S.C. 916-9161)
Director, Office of Law Enforcement 

James Landon

Deputy Director

Logan Gregory 

Headquarters Leadership

Todd Dubois, Assistant Director – Investigative and International Operations

Milena Seelig, Chief – Operations, Management, and Information 

Casey Brennan, Chief of Staff

April 2017

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/ole

OFFICIAL BUSINESS

National Marine Fisheries Service

Office of Law Enforcement 

1315 East-West Highway

SSMC 3, Suite 3301

Silver Spring, MD 20910