The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office filed a civil complaint against a crabber who allegedly illegally removed crabs from a protected area.
An announcement from the office's Consumer and Environmental Unit reports that a civil complaint was filed Monday against George Jue for allegedly taking 36 live Dungeness crabs in traps located in a Marine Protected Area on January 8, 2022.
The complaint alleges that Jue's actions are an illegal business practice and seeks an injunction to stop the conduct and civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation.
The area lies off the coast from Montara to Pillar Point in San Mateo County and is designated protected to allow for safe breeding grounds and a sanctuary for large female fish, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The protected designation prohibits any person from injuring, damaging, taking, or possessing any living marine, geological, or cultural resource without a scientific collecting permit or specific authorization.
"Marine protected areas also help increase fish populations in areas outside of the designated protected area," the district attorney's announcement read. "Scientific documentation shows that marine reserves are successfully increasing the abundance and diversity of marine life."
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