Santa Barbara commercial lobster fisherman convicted for abandoning traps

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The California Department of Fish and Wildfire (CDFW) announced the conviction and successful prosecution of a commercial lobster fisherman on several fishing violations.

CDFW Law Enforcement Acting Chief Nathaniel Arnold commented on Miller's negligent actions that caused the incident after the 2021-2022 commercial fishing season.

“The vast majority of California’s commercial lobster fishers abide by the law and provide Californians with sustainable, high quality locally harvested seafood,” said Arnold. “Ignoring other commercial lobster fishing regulations adds up to a significant detrimental impact on the fishery and will always be a high priority investigation for our wildlife officers.”

Christopher Miller, a 67-year old Los Alamos man, pled guilty to falsifying commercial fishing records, harvesting lobster out of season and abandoning at least 156 commercial lobster traps around Santa Cruz Island and the Santa Barbara Harbor.

The recent conviction came in Santa Barbara's Superior Court and marked Miller's third commercial lobster poaching conviction since 2014.

Miller's abandoned traps captured marine wildlife and left them unable to escape, a violation under required removal and servicing and was ordered to pay nearly $20,000 in restitution.

Abandoned gear such as Miller's not only increases the chances of entangling marine animals but can also impede human safety and navigation.

Fish and lobsters continued to die within Miller's traps without chances to hunt for their own food, leading other fish and wildlife to the same fate in a continuous cycle.

CDFW's Law Enforcement patrol boats worked extensively to remove Miller's abandoned traps but the overwhelming amount of gear prompted additional support from the California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project.

Together, both organizations removed the gear in the investigation to eventually convict Miller once more for his crime.