A Vietnamese ship captain has been arrested and convicted in New Hampshire for illegal fishing activities. According to NBC Boston, officers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department discovered the violations on Friday last week aboard a 400-foot cargo ship, the Franbo Lohas, which was docked on the Piscataqua River in Newington.
Conservation officers found traps belonging to local commercial fishermen that contained illegally caught lobsters, crabs, and mussels. Bui Cong Doai, 44, the ship's captain, was arrested and charged with fishing without a license, illegal possession of fishing gear, and five other violations, as reported by The Union Leader.
Doai pleaded guilty and was fined $1,269. Conservation Officer Justin Whipple, who led the investigation, told The Union Leader that officers acted after receiving a tip from a local lobsterman whose gear had become entangled with the cargo ship's lines. Whipple stated, “We had probable cause based on the photos to do the investigation with the blessing of the Coast Guard.”
Authorities conducted the inspection before the ship departed, allowing the matter to be resolved quickly. Among the items seized was a small submerged wire cage containing an undersized, egg-bearing lobster, which contributed to the charges.
