A Rohnert Park husband and wife pleaded guilty to illegally selling fish out of their home after a state investigation uncovered what authorities said was an unlicensed fish retailing business in operation for more than 10 years.
Richard and Shalley Tran, of Rohnert Park, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts of illegally selling and exchanging fish for profit or personal gain, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors alleged the husband-wife duo harvested and sold fish caught along the Northern and Central California coast from Santa Cruz all the way up to Eureka, dating as far back as 2014. They did not have licenses to operate as commercial anglers, and generally the law forbids selling or bartering fish otherwise.
Krysten Kellum, a spokesperson with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, said during the investigation officials discovered the Trans had sold 243 tuna and about 3,000 pounds of mackerel in less than a month. Investigators also issued a search warrant and found evidence of prior fishing activity that targeted crab, striped bass, halibut, shark, rockfish, lingcod, sea bass and clams.
Prosecutors say the operation violated several commercial fishing laws, including using a vessel that was not commercially registered, employing people who did not have commercial fishing licenses, failing to obtain a Fish Receiver’s License and bypassing fish “landing procedures,” in which the state tracks catches, enforces quotas and collects fees.
“When sport-caught fish are unlawfully commercialized, large volumes of data go unreported, directly undermining effective fishery management,” Kellum said. “This illegal overharvesting not only jeopardizes resource conservation but also negatively impacts lawful commercial fishing industries.”
As part of the Trans’ plea agreement, they forfeited $66,000 seized from their home, surrendered fishing gear and are barred from fishing activities for a year.
The pair will not serve jail time.
In a statement, District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said the case underscores the importance of enforcing fishing regulations which “not only helps to preserve our natural resources but also promotes fair business practices.”
Kellum said Fish and Wildlife credits a tip from the public with launching the investigation and encouraged residents to support suspected illicit wildlife and fishing violations through the agency’s confidential reporting system.
Contact Staff Writer Anna Armstrong at anna.armstrong@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @annavarmstrongg.
The Mercury News
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