A commercial fisherman from Southeast Alaska has been sentenced to six months in prison for falsifying fishing records and illegally taking a sperm whale, according to court documents. Dugan Paul Daniels, 55, of Coffman Cove, was found guilty of violating the Lacey Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Between October and November 2020, Daniels submitted false records regarding his fishing activities to make it appear he lawfully caught sablefish in federal waters. An investigation revealed he harvested the fish illegally in State of Alaska waters, specifically in Chatham Strait and Clarence Strait. The market value of the fish was $127,528.
In March 2020, while fishing for sablefish southwest of Yakobi Island in the Gulf of Alaska, Daniels encountered a sperm whale. He attempted to take the endangered animal by having a crew member shoot it multiple times and trying to ram it with his vessel. Daniels documented this encounter through text messages sent from a GPS communication device.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) does not know if Daniels succeeded in killing the whale since no carcass was reported in Southeast Alaska that year.
Daniels pleaded guilty on June 6, 2024, to one count of Lacey Act violation for false labeling and one count of Endangered Species Act violation for an illegal take. The Court emphasized his deliberate actions despite having 20 years of experience as a commercial fisherman. In addition to his prison sentence, Daniels must pay a $25,000 fine and serve three years on supervised release with specific conditions including an 80-hour community work service requirement.
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... Let this sentence serve as an example that these violations will not go unpunished.”
Benjamin Cheeseman from NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement added: “Mr. Daniels believed that he could use deception to escape the consequences... Anyone who violates the laws that protect Alaska’s marine resources will face serious repercussions.”
The case was investigated by NOAA's Office of Law Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney alongside Andrea Hattan from NOAA's Office of General Counsel.