| Abstract: |
In an unprecedented punishment, federal regulators Monday ordered scores of commercial fishermen in Massachusetts to return their vessels to shore after the owner of many of the boats, a New Bedford fishing mogul known as “ The Codfather,” failed to account for the fish they caught and orchestrated a massive fraud. The move immediately prohibits 60 permit holders, including 22 active vessels, from going back to sea until at least the start of the new fishing season in May. Most of the vessels were operated by Carlos Rafael, the magnate who was recently convicted of one of the nation’s largest violations of fishing regulations. The penalties could also cost dozens of fishermen their jobs and cause significant economic losses for the icehouses, fuel companies, and other businesses that supply the boats. |
