HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard says they found a foreign worker acting as the captain of an American-flagged commercial fishing vessel in federal waters off Hawaii.
HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard says they found a foreign worker acting as the captain of an American-flagged commercial fishing vessel in federal waters off Hawaii.
In a statement released Friday, the Coast Guard says the crew of the U.S. Cutter Oliver Berry boarded the unnamed vessel on Dec. 19 and issued a citation after they suspected a foreign national was acting as the captain and operating the boat.
It’s illegal for a foreign national to operate a U.S.-flagged commercial vessel.
The Coast Guard says the vessel was cited for a violation known as a “paper captain.” The Coast Guard Hearing Office will review the violation and consider possible legal action.
Officials boarded a total of six Hawaii-based commercial fishing vessels during a 10-day patrol. They issued eight violations.
