Parties reach settlement in illegal disposal near Ventura Harbor case
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – A commercial fishing vessel entered a settlement with Ventura County following a lawsuit regarding its unlawful disposal of toxic substances into state waters just outside of the Ventura Harbor, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
"Safe and clean waterways are crucial to the health of marine wildlife. It is important to hold those accountable for not following the law and placing our local wildlife at risk," said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko.
The vessel, named Ocean Angel II, was caught traveling just outside of the Ventura Harbor illegally disposing of squid wastewater by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife on Dec. 3, 2021, according to the District Attorney's Office. Squid wastewater contains a high concentration of ammonia that is harmful to aquatic life.
Ocean II, LLC agreed to pay $8,000 in civil penalties to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and $1,000 in civil penalties and $7,000 in investigative costs to the District Attorney's Office as part of the settlement.
The settlement also requires compliance with all applicable laws related to California Fish and Game Code section 5650, the District Attorney's Office said.
