Two brothers have been accused by town of San Diego in a civil grievance of working a business fishing enterprise in violation of state legal guidelines designed to stop overfishing and environmental exploitation, the San Diego Metropolis Lawyer’s workplace introduced Friday.
Tanner and Trevor Whitmarsh had been named within the grievance that claims they operated a business fishing enterprise underneath the quilt of leisure sportfishing excursions, in keeping with Richard Jackoway of San Diego Metropolis Lawyer Mara W. Elliott’s workplace.
“They might then promote the fish caught on these excursions to native seafood eating places, sushi eating places, and different fish-related companies dozens of occasions, bringing in practically $30,000 in illicit revenue,” Jackoway stated. “The fish had been usually caught in Mexican waters from the Whitmarshes’ sportfishing boat Deadeye. Neither of the brothers had the correct licenses to promote fish to customers, fish commercially in Mexican waters, or promote fish from Mexico in the USA.
“Moreover, the brothers’ scheme gave them an unfair enterprise benefit over opponents by avoiding legal guidelines licensed fishermen observe,” he continued. “They had been subsequently capable of promote their fish at decrease costs than their opponents.”
Among the many accusations towards Tanner Whitmarsh are:
— Catching grouper, bass, and parrotfish in Mexico with out the required licenses and allegedly returning to San Diego with out submitting the correct paperwork and illegally promoting the grouper to a La Mesa sushi restaurant;
— Promoting roughly 330 kilos of tuna obtained from a sportfisherman who didn’t maintain a business fishing license on the time of sale. Whitmarsh allegedly falsely reported on the touchdown receipts that he had caught the tuna;
— Promoting a 200-pound Mako shark for a sportfisherman with out touchdown receipts or different accounting information.
Trevor Whitmarsh carried out enterprise in 2021 and 2022 as a business fisherman with out holding a Metropolis of San Diego Enterprise Tax Certificates. Among the many accusations towards him are:
— Repeatedly taking sport fisherman on fishing journeys aboard his business fishing boat, regardless that he didn’t possess a Business Passenger Fishing Vessel license or a business ocean fishing enhancement;
— Illegally promoting fish to San Diego seafood eating places and fish- associated companies;
— Failing to create or submit any touchdown receipts relating to these gross sales.
The civil grievance requested a courtroom to completely enjoin the Whitmarshes from persevering with their conduct and likewise seeks civil penalties, investigative prices, and different equitable aid for defendants’ alleged violation of the legislation.
–Metropolis Information Service
