A Venice, California, U.S.A.-based seafood restaurant and people involved in the business have been ordered to pay more than USD 100,000 (EUR 86,004) after the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) discovered multiple, repeat violations of the state’s commercial fishing regulations.
Law enforcement officials said Dudley Market and its businesses – Dudley Street Oyster Bar and Shark Bite Fish Co. – advertised its seafood as sustainably and legally harvested, but an investigation unveiled that the company was catching and selling fish without obtaining a commercial license, without landing their catch in port, and without documenting their harvest via electronic fish tickets.
“Commercial fishing laws exist to protect our oceans and preserve marine ecosystems,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said in a release. “These businesses lured the public into thinking they were caring for our precious resources, when in reality, their fish was unlawfully sourced. Sustainability was the bait, but fraud was the hook. The message is clear; this kind of deception will not be tolerated.”
The violations at the heart of the charges took place in 2020 and 2021.
Santa Monica resident Conner Mitchell managed Dudley Market and operated the commercial fishing vessel Jamaica Day, which he used to catch fish and supply them to the restaurant and market. Evidence obtained by CDFW showed that Mitchell and other business associates conducted commercial fishing without a license, did not document their catch, illegally harvested rockfish from conservation and protected areas, and caught and sold sport fish like rockfish, bluefin tuna, and yellowtail commercially. Despite those violations, the business marketed its seafood as sustainably caught.
“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,” Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch said in a release.
In May, Mitchell, Dudley Street Oyster Bar, and Shark Bite Fish Co. were ordered to pay USD 75,000 (EUR 64,503) in civil penalties, court costs and fees, and a donation to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. Taylor Grant, a former manager, was previously ordered to pay USD 40,000 (EUR 34,402) in civil penalties with a USD 10,000 (EUR 8,600) donation to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. The fishing vessel operator, Cody Martin, was ordered to pay USD 8,000 (EUR 6,880) with a USD 2,000 (EUR 1,720) donation to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and the vessel owner, Gilmer Grant, was ordered to pay USD 10,000 in civil penalties with a USD 5,000 (EUR 4,300) donation to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.
“Angelenos deserve to know that the seafood they purchase is safely sourced from businesses that are following the law and not jeopardizing local marine life,” Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said in a release. “My office will always hold accountable those who violate laws designed to protect consumers and our fragile ecosystems.”
