Two midcoast lobstermen have been charged with running an illegal fishing operation.
Duston Reed, 34, of Waldoboro was arrested Aug. 18 and charged with fishing lobster traps that were not marked by a buoy, fishing untagged lobster traps, falsifying physical evidence and tampering with a witness, the Maine Marine Patrol said in a news release Monday.
Jeremy Yeaton of Friendship, Reed’s sternman, was arrested Aug. 28 and charged with falsification of physical evidence. Yeaton removed marine electronics used to navigate and locate fishing gear from Reed’s vessel, Outer Limits, the marine patrol said.
Marine patrol officers recovered 40 unmarked, untagged lobster traps during the seven-month investigation, a significant violation of Maine’s marine resource laws, marine patrol Col. Jon Cornish said.
“Marking lobster traps with buoys and tags allows Marine Patrol to identify the harvester associated with the traps and to ensure compliance with our important resource laws, which are designed to sustain Maine’s valuable fisheries,” Cornish said.
The two fishing-related charges against Reed carry $2,500 in potential fines. Falsifying evidence, a Class D crime, has a maximum punishment of 364 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, and tampering with a witness, a Class C charge, can lead to up to 5 years in prison.
Reed also faces suspension of his lobster, commercial fishing and scallop licenses.
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