New Orleans, LA – Federal agents have cited 15 charter boat companies that take anglers out into the Gulf of Mexico for a variety of violations, such as working without permits, fishing out of season and catching undersized fish.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Friday said it sent undercover agents on chartered trips across the Gulf and documented a multitude of violations.
NOAA said charter boat companies were found operating in violation of state, Coast Guard and fishery laws.
Hal Robbins, a special agent in charge of the NOAA division in St. Petersburg, Fla., said the crack down protects ``law-abiding charter operations from unfair competition.''
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