LDWF Agents Seize Illegal Fish From Duson Man's Gulf Trawler

DUSON, La. (KPEL News) — A Duson man is facing federal citations after Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents caught him with dozens of undersized Spanish mackerel and four bonnethead sharks aboard his commercial trawling vessel in the Gulf of America.

According to LDWF, agents cited Joshua Thanh Dinh, 53, for violating federal highly migratory species regulations, violating federal coastal migratory pelagic species regulations, possessing undersized Spanish mackerel, and taking coastal pelagic species with illegal gear.

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What Agents Found Aboard the Vessel

LDWF agents were on a Joint Enforcement Agreement patrol in the Gulf of America when they spotted a commercial trawling vessel out fishing. Agents boarded the vessel and spoke with Dinh, who was the captain.

Agents found Dinh in possession of four bonnethead sharks and 63 Spanish mackerel. Of those mackerel, 32 came in under the legal minimum size limit of 12 inches. During questioning, Dinh told agents he had caught the fish using his shrimp trawls, a method prohibited under federal coastal migratory pelagic species regulations, which restrict how and with what gear those species can be taken.

Agents also determined that Dinh did not hold the required licenses to possess those fish species on a trawling vessel.

What Happens With Federal Fishing Charges

Federal charges for commercial fishing violations do not go through state courts. LDWF refers cases like this to the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Law Enforcement for prosecution. NMFS enforces federal fisheries law under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, which governs commercial harvest of species like Spanish mackerel and coastal sharks in federal Gulf waters.

Agents seized the Spanish mackerel and sharks.