NEW BEDFORD — The crew of the New Bedford scalloper Dinah Jane gambled and lost when they tied up at the Whaling City Seafood Display Auction Saturday morning.
As a general category vessel, the day boat is allowed to land only 400 pounds per trip. But a search of its hold turned up more than twice that amount. Its entire catch, just over 1,000 pounds, was immediately seized by law enforcement officers.
Officer Ian Marcotte of the Massachusetts Environmental Police went aboard the 62-foot steel vessel at about 9.30 a.m. for a routine inspection and asked one of the three-man crew if they had brought in more scallops than they were allowed. He became suspicious, he said, when the man replied, "Not that I know of."
Descending to the hold, Marcotte first uncovered two 50-pound bags of sea scallops hidden inside a trash barrel beneath two other trash barrels. He immediately called for backup.
"I had already observed them unloading their 400 pounds. We counted them together," Marcotte said.
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