Seven more fishing boats have been charged with illegal catches, based mostly on 2004 landings data provided to the National Marine Fisheries Service by its primary target, the Gloucester Seafood Display Auction.
The new cases bring to at least nine the number of boats charged with selling illegally caught fish via the auction, the No. 1 sales platform on the coast of the Gulf of Maine.
As many as 24 boats could be charged, said Andy Cohen, NMFS’ regional law enforcement chief, in February when the agency’s underlying case against the auction was announced.