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ALASKA FISHERIES OBSERVER FINED FOR SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Posted by: Joseph S. Stacey
December 23, 2009
Topic: Interesting Information

A NOAA fishing observer working in Alaska has been banned from working as a observer anywhere in the country for ten years.   The observer was fined $10,000 with $9,000 suspended as a result of sexually harassing another observer. The incident occurred over several days while the observers were housed in a Kodiak bunkhouse.  The violations were reported and investigated by NOAA Office of Law Enforcement. NOAA observers monitor catch and by-catch aboard many commercial fishing vessels in the Bering Sea.

When sexual harassment occurs aboard fishing vessels there may be causes of action under Federal as well as State laws. While working in the fishing industry requires long hours of work in confined quarters in sometimes hazardous conditions, there is no place for discrimination or sexual harassment on a fishing vessel. Federal regulations specifically make it illegal to harass fishery observers.



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