Crab fisherman accused of illegally taking crabs from protected area on Peninsula
REDWOOD CITY -- The San Mateo County District Attorney's Office has filed a civil complaint against a commercial crab fisherman alleged to have unlawfully taken 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 Jan. 8, 2022.
The complaint alleges that Jue's actions are an unlawful business practice and seeks an injunction to stop the conduct and civil penalties of up to $2,500 for each violation.
The area is offshore from Montara to Pillar Point in San Mateo County and is designated as protected to allow for safe breeding grounds and sanctuary for large female fish, according to the District Attorney's Office.
The designation as protected prohibits anyone from injuring, damaging, taking or possessing any living, geological or cultural marine resource without a scientific collecting permit or specific authorization.
"Marine protected areas also help to boost fish populations in areas outside the designated protected area," the district attorney's announcement reads. "Scientific documentation shows that marine reserves are successfully increasing the abundance and diversity of marine life."
