S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney | U.S. Attorney's Office District of Alaska
A commercial fisherman from Southeast Alaska has been sentenced to six months in prison for falsifying fishing records and illegally taking a sperm whale. Dugan Paul Daniels, 55, of Coffman Cove, was found guilty of violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Court documents revealed that between October and November 2020, Daniels submitted false records to make it appear he lawfully caught sablefish in federal waters. However, investigations showed he harvested the fish illegally in State of Alaska waters. The market value of these fish was $127,528.
In March 2020, Daniels and his crew encountered a sperm whale while fishing southwest of Yakobi Island. Daniels attempted to take the endangered whale by having a crew member shoot it multiple times and trying to ram it with his vessel. He documented this encounter through written notes and text messages sent from a GPS device. NOAA has not confirmed if the whale was killed as no carcass was reported.
Daniels pleaded guilty on June 6, 2024, to one count each of Lacey Act violation for false labeling and Endangered Species Act violation for illegal take. The court emphasized his deliberate actions despite having over 20 years of experience as a commercial fisherman. Alongside his prison sentence, Daniels must pay a $25,000 fine and serve three years on supervised release with specific conditions including an annual ban on commercial fishing during this period and completing community work service.
U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman stated: “Though he had been a fisherman for over 20 years, Mr. Daniels showed a blatant disregard for endangered animals, the laws that protect them and the regulation of commercial fishing.” He added that such violations would not go unpunished due to their impact on sustainable fishery management.
Benjamin Cheeseman from NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement commented: “Mr. Daniels believed that he could use deception to escape the consequences of his actions.” He warned that serious repercussions await those who violate marine resource protection laws.
The case was investigated by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney and Andrea Hattan from NOAA's Office of General Counsel Enforcement Attorney.
