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California Department of Fish and Game News Release
NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 19, 2009
Contact: Warden Patrick Foy, Department of Fish and Game, (916)
651-2084
Kristine Lorenz, San Diego City Attorney’s Office,
(619) 533-5500
Two San Diego Lobster Poachers Sentenced to Jail Time
Two individuals recently arrested for lobster poaching in the San Diego
area have been sentenced to jail time. The arrests, though unrelated,
both involved repeat offenders - one of whom gained international media
attention in 2007 for attempting to hide six poached lobsters in his
pants.
Binh Q. Chau was sentenced to 90 days in jail after a Department of
Fish and Game (DFG) warden found him fishing for lobsters with a
handline March 18 at the La Jolla Marine Preserve, where it is unlawful
to take any living, geological, or cultural marine resource.
When the warden approached, Chau attempted to throw the line into the
ocean, but it was still connected to a spool in his pocket. Chau also
gave a false name, but the warden - who had arrested Chau for lobster
poaching on two previous occasions - recognized him and conducted a
search. Four lobsters and a cabezon (fish) were found in Chau’s
possession. He pled guilty to the charges June 3 before being sentenced
in San Diego Superior Court.
Chau has a long history of poaching arrests, including three arrests in
a two-week period in late 2007. During one of these incidents, Chau
attempted to stuff the poached lobsters into his pants. Chau was found
guilty on poaching charges related to the 2007 arrests, and was
subsequently arrested and convicted on similar charges two more times
prior to his March 18 arrest. As a condition of his most recent
conviction, Chau was prohibited from fishing anywhere on the coast
within San Diego city limits for three years.
Also convicted was Jason Bryan Chavez, who San Diego Police found in
possession of 46 lobsters May 18. All of the lobsters were taken out of
season and were below the legal minimum size. And because it is
currently lobster breeding season, some of the females were carrying
eggs. Chavez pled guilty to poaching charges last week and was ordered
to serve 120 days in jail, in addition to being placed on probation.
Since 1995, Chavez has been arrested on poaching charges 10 times in
the Mission Bay area.
Residents who witness poaching activities are asked to call the DFG
24-hour CalTIP line at (888) 334-2258.
