GRAND ISLE, La. -- The Coast Guard says it found a Florida-based shrimper working in an area closed because of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, confiscated 19,000 pounds of white shrimp and dumped it all back in the water. Petty Officer Casey Ranel says 500 pounds of the shrimp were live, 500 pounds had just recently been de-headed, and 18,000 were frozen when returned to the water 13 miles south of Belle Pass.
A Tuesday news release says a Coast Guard crew from Grand Isle inspected the trawler Little Andrew on Sunday after getting a report that it was working in a restricted area.
Ranel says the boat's master, whom she identified as Dung Nguyen, was given a written warning. She says the trawler is registered in Panama City, Fla.
