The serene waters of Terrebonne Parish were the site of an enforcement action by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) earlier this month. On March 8, agents issued citations to two individuals, Ngoc Nguyen, 60, of Houma, and Ho Nguyen, 59, of Chauvin, for contravening regulations designed to prevent the abandonment of crab traps, as per a statement from LDWF. The two were allegedly found to be in violation of rules pertaining to the Derelict Crab Trap Removal Program.
According to the report by the LDWF, the incident was first noted during a patrol on February 22. Agents discovered two lines of crab traps situated in an area that was closed off for commercial crabbing due to the program. The investigation led to the identification of the traps as belonging to the Nguyens. When the authorities made contact with the two on March 8, they proceeded with issuing the citations for the aforementioned violations.
Violations such as these could lead to substantive consequences, including fines ranging from $400 to $950 along with potential jail time of up to 120 days. The operations executed by the LDWF agents seek to enforce the regulations that are in place to help sustain the crab populations and marine life, ensuring ecologically sound practices within the commercial industry. The enforcement action was carried out by Senior Agent Austin Anderson, Senior Agent Cody Salpietra, and Senior Agent Troy Autin.
