14-104-CWS | December 23, 2014
BILOXI, Miss. – Marine Patrol officers with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources confiscated more than 100 pounds of flounder Tuesday from a seafood dealer in Pascagoula because the owners could not produce records showing where it was purchased.
Lt. Jack Ewing and Cpl. Leo DeGeorge were performing routine compliance checks Tuesday at seafood shops when they found flounder stored in five onion sacks at Friendly Seafood in Pascagoula.
Owners Sau Van Nguyen and Thuy Cam Duong, both of D’Iberville, were issued a citation for failure to keep records after they couldn’t produce a receipt showing where they had purchased the flounder.
The investigation is ongoing, and more charges may be filed.
The officers estimate there was between 100 and 150 pounds of flounder in the five sacks, which was donated to Loaves and Fishes, a community kitchen in Biloxi.
“We continue to strive to satisfy our mission of conserving Mississippi’s natural resources,” said Keith Davis, MDMR’s Marine Patrol chief. “We will use all necessary tools, including state laws, to achieve this goal. We are pleased we could donate the fish to an organization that will put it to good use during the holiday season.”
The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is dedicated to enhancing, protecting and conserving marine interests of the state by managing all marine life, public trust wetlands, adjacent uplands and waterfront areas to provide for the optimal commercial, recreational, educational and economic uses of these resources consistent with environmental concerns and social changes. Visit the DMR online at www.dmr.ms.gov.
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