A California restaurant and several commercial fishing operators have been ordered to pay more than $100,000 in penalties following an investigation into the unlawful sale and marketing of seafood, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW).
CDFW wildlife officers investigated Dudley Market, a Venice, Calif.-based restaurant and fish business, after allegations that seafood advertised as traceable, sustainable and lawfully sourced was obtained in violation of state and federal fishing laws. The investigation focused on activities occurring in 2020 and 2021.
According to CDFW, evidence gathered through search warrants and electronic records revealed multiple violations, including the unlawful purchase, possession and sale of sport-caught fish, commercial fishing without required licenses, failure to properly document federally managed species, and illegal harvest of rockfish within restricted conservation areas and marine protected areas.
The case was resolved through a civil enforcement action brought by prosecutors from the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office and the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara County district attorneys' offices under California's Unfair Competition Law.
As part of the settlement, Conner Mitchell, Dudley Street Oyster Bar and Shark Bite Fish Co. were ordered to pay more than $75,000 in penalties, fees and contributions to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. Taylor Grant was ordered to pay $50,000 and Cody Martin was ordered to pay $10,000. Grant and Martin are prohibited from commercial fishing in California.
Gilmer Grant, owner of the commercial fishing vessel Jamaica Day in 2020, was ordered to pay $15,000 and is prohibited from owning or operating a commercial fishing vessel in California.
CDFW noted that California law prohibits the commercial sale of sport-caught fish and requires commercially harvested fish to be documented through electronic fish tickets before being removed from a vessel. The agency said those reporting requirements are critical for fishery management and sustainability efforts.
"Violating fishing regulations that are intended to preserve Marine Protected Areas threatens the environment and the fishing industry that depends on sustainable fish stocks in the future," said Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch.
The settlement also requires compliance oversight measures, public disclosure notices and additional financial penalties if future violations occur.
