Ship captain convicted of poaching lobsters, crabs and mussels
Bui Cong Doai, 44, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors for lobster and crab fishing without a license and illegal possession of someone else's lobster gear, as well as five other violations. He had a Vietnamese passport and United States visa, according to Conservation Officer Justin Whipple.
In all, he paid $1,269 as part of the conviction.
Mussels
Bui Cong Doai, 44, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors for lobster and crab fishing without a license and illegal possession of someone else's lobster gear, as well as five other violations.
The cargo ship, Franbo Lohas, which sails under the Panama flag, had been docked on the Piscataqua River in Newington.
Fish and Game noticed multiple ropes extending from the ship with traps belonging to a licensed New Hampshire commercial fisherman.
'There were four lines total off of the ship, two large and two small,' Whipple said. 'The two large each had a trap they were actively using to fish.'
Officers found lobsters, crabs and bags of blue mussels. A female egg-bearing lobster was found in an undersized cage just to keep it alive.
The investigation started after Whipple received a tip from a local lobsterman who had his gear tangled in lines coming from the cargo ship.
'When he retrieved his gear, he pulled up what was clearly an illegal lobster pot,' he said. 'He took some photos, gave me a call and reported it.'
Fish and Game needed to get permission from the Coast Guard and the pier operator SubCom to board the ship. Based on information provided to Fish and Game, this is the first time the ship docked in New Hampshire.
lobster.jpg
Bui Cong Doai, 44, pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors for lobster and crab fishing without a license and illegal possession of someone else's lobster gear, as well as five other violations.
'We had probable cause based on the photos to do the investigation with the blessing of the Coast Guard,' Whipple said. 'We wanted to do it quickly because we weren't sure when the ship would be leaving.'
The violations include illegal trap construction, possession of a short egg-bearing lobster, unlawful possession of crabs, unlawful possession of blue mussels and an egg-bearing Jonah crab.
Fish and Game was able to work with the courts for an expedited arraignment, which led to the conviction.
The egg-bearing lobster likely had never been caught before because it did not have a 'v-notch' marking, which fishermen use to mark breeding lobster.
'Hopefully, it will encourage people to keep giving us calls if they see anything skeptical and know that we are willing to get out there and do the investigation and the legwork,' Whipple said.
He's glad the case was able to be settled before the ship left port.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
3 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Rats, sewage leaks, no hot water: S.F. landlord sued by city for ‘unsafe living conditions'
For nearly a year residents in a Tenderloin apartment building have been forced to live with rat infestations, sewage leaks, and a lack of heat and hot water, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by City Attorney David Chiu. In the lawsuit Chiu alleges that property owner Charles Kartchner created unsafe living conditions and endangered the health and safety of the tenants in a 10-unit building at 646 Ellis St., which he bought in March of 2024 for $1.15 million, 'This property owner took rent from each tenant then turned around and refused to provide the most basic necessities like hot water and heating,' said Chiu. 'Every tenant deserves a safe and clean place to live. It is the landlord's responsibility to ensure their property doesn't deteriorate.' Kartchner could not be reached for comment. The lawsuit comes after nearly a year of escalating notices of violations, none of which were addressed, according to Chiu's office. In total, the Department of Building Inspection has issued five citations to the property owner for violations of the San Francisco Housing Code. In August of last year the property owner was hit with a violation because inspectors found the building lacked hot water. Later that month another notice of violation was issued for sewage leak, a rodent infestation, peeling paint and water damage, and damage to the main entry door,' according to the lawsuit. Other violations include a lack of garbage receptacles and damaged ceiling. In addition, the city attorney said the property owner failed to properly secure the building, resulting in trespassers entering. The lawsuit orders the property to pay a penalty up to $1,000 for each day that the violations alleged in the complaint existed, at least $224,000 through Oct. 18, 2025, plus $1,000 per day thereafter through the entry of judgment. The tenants, all immigrants from Vietnam, worked with the Tenderloin Housing Clinic to document the issues and bring them to the attention of city officials. 'It is essential to enforce tenants' rights to promote a high quality of life for San Franciscan residents,' said Gloria del Mar Lemus, Tenderloin Housing Clinic program manager. 'Tenants are already paying a high price to live in the city. Landlords cannot continue to violate housing codes by allowing their tenants to live without hot water or in properties with pest infestations or collapsing ceilings.' Tenderloin Housing Clinic also filed a separate lawsuit against the property owner in April, after meeting with about 25 Vietnamese residents who complained of long-standing and serious maintenance and habitability failures. Even among the hundreds of complaints DBI received about substandard living conditions, 646 Ellis St. was exceptional, according to Department of Building Inspection Director Patrick O'Riordan. 'This case really stands out for the sheer number of violations that led to unsafe conditions for the tenants,' O'Riordan said.'The City had to act.' After a year living in 'unsanitary and unlivable conditions,' Longtime tenant Victor Ly said he was relieved that the city attorney took 'action against a bad landlord who could care less about the tenants.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Monterey Bay fisherman who vanished at sea 28 years ago identified
(KRON) — The remains of a Monterey Bay fisherman who vanished in the ocean nearly three decades ago were recently identified through advanced DNA testing, according to DNA experts with Othram laboratory helped Monterey County cold case investigators confirm the real identity of a deceased man known as 'Sandholdt Doe.' His bones were found tangled in a fishing net in 2021 near the Monterey Bay. The team recently concluded that the bones found at sea were from the skeletal remains of a missing fisherman, Jeffrey Lyndon Hulliger. Hulliger was born on May 30, 1960. He was 36 years old when he went fishing for black cod with a friend in the Monterey Bay on January 14, 1997, according to The fishermen had sent out a distress signal from their boat, The Salmon Patty. Hulliger's boatmate, Greg Mitchell, has never been found. 'According to newspaper accounts at the time, the Coast Guard launched a multi-day search with volunteers, two Coast Guard cutters, a helicopter and an airplane in an effort to rescue the men. Only debris was found, and both men were presumed drowned. Neither the boat nor their remains were located in the search,' wrote. Mysterious human skull found on NorCal beach identified In 2022, the Monterey County Cold Case Taskforce teamed up with Othram, a DNA lab based in Texas, to determine if advanced testing could help identify 'Sandholdt Doe.' According to 'Othram's in-house forensic genetic genealogy team then used the profile in a genetic genealogy search to develop new leads in the case.' A reference DNA sample was collected from a relative that matched Hulliger. 'There is a Fishermen's Memorial established near where this man was lost that is dedicated to the fishermen who lost their lives at sea,' said Kristen Mittelman, chief development officer for Othram. 'Now when their remains are found, we have a technology that can bring answers to their families and those answers can bring resolution.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Mystery remains after Lake Erie distress call
CLEVELAND (WJW) — A large-scale search effort was suspended late Tuesday night after the U.S. Coast Guard received a report of a medical emergency aboard a paddle boat near Edgewater Beach. At approximately 10:15 p.m. on July 8, the Coast Guard was alerted to the possible emergency when a distressed boater called 911. Small Ohio village sells winning jackpot ticket According to a press release, crews from Station Cleveland Harbor were launched to search the area. Shortly after the initial call, communication was lost with the reporting party. The Cleveland Metroparks Police Department deployed a drone and a U.S. Coast Guard crew in a helicopter. Urgent RITZ cracker sandwich recall; labeling error could cause life-threatening allergic reactions: FDA No vessel or individuals in distress were located. Attempts to trace or 'ping' the original emergency call were unsuccessful, according to a press release. The Coast Guard officially suspended the search early Wednesday, pending any new leads. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
