An Alabama-based shrimp vessel had 45,000 pounds of pink shrimp in its hold, but the crew was fishing on an expired permit when it was boarded by the Coast Guard Sept. 19, according to Coast Guard officials.
A crew from Coast Guard Station Key West boarded the boat 12 miles off Florida’s Marquesas Keys for a routine commercial fishing vessel safety inspection and found the vessel’s permit had expired, according to a statement from the Coast Guard 7th District headquarters in Miami.
Consulting with the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Coast Guard terminated the vessel’s voyage with 45,000 pounds of shrimp on board.
“The vessel is returning to its homeport in Alabama where NMFS officers will meet with captain for further questioning,” according to the statement. The name of the vessel was withheld pending the outcome of the investigation.
In 2022, U.S. landings of pink shrimp totaled 14.5 million pounds and were valued at $37 million, according to NMFS.
