AnonymousSource: Santa Barbara District Attorney
People of the State of California v. Royce Renchard Zachary, Case No. 22CR01320
Commercial Fisherman to Pay $11,000 Fine for Illegally Fishing in Marine Protected Area
District Attorney Joyce E. Dudley announced today that the Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit of the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office resolved a case against Royce Renchard Zachary for violating Section 12012.5 of the Fish and Game Code by engaging in illegal commercial fishing in a Marine Protected Area.
Zachary pleaded no contest to violating Section 12012.5 after he was seen commercially diving and taking urchin in a Special Closure Area off the coast of San Miguel Island. As part of the plea agreement, Zachary was placed on probation for a period of one year with terms that he complies with all laws, including the Fish and Game Code. In addition, Zachary is required to pay an $11,000 fine, half of which will be deposited in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fish and Game Preservation Fund, and the other half will go to the Santa Barbara County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund. The money in these funds is used to support environmental projects in California and Santa Barbara County.
The case was prosecuted under Fish and Game Code Section 12012.5, which took effect in 2019 with the intent to increase the criminal fines and penalties for commercial fishing in Marine Protected Areas. Section 12012.5 imposes fines ranging from $5,000 to $40,000 for a first offense. After two convictions, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is authorized to suspend the violator’s commercial fishing license. Violations of Section 12012.5 are also punishable by up to a year in County Jail.
District Attorney Dudley said, “Santa Barbara County, with the Channel Islands off its coast, is home to some of the most pristine marine resources in the United States. Marine Protected Areas are critical to ensuring that these resources are preserved, and my office is committed to holding accountable those who illegally operate in Marine Protected Areas for financial gain. I want to thank the concerned citizen who observed and reported this violation, the Wardens from the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Deputy District Attorney Morgan Lucas who led the prosecution effort for their concern for our precious and limited marine resources.”
