Coast Guard Halts Illegal Use Of “Paper Captains” In WA-Based Tuna Fishing Operation
KXRO (Radio) Aberdeen WA | May 28, 2021

The Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries law enforcement teams announced that they have investigated and ceased the use of illegal foreign nationals on a fleet of commercial tuna fishing vessels that operate out of Washington during the summer months.

In their release, the Coast Guard states that since 2019, they have worked collaboratively with CBP and NOAA agents, and detected eight separate “paper captain” violations operating in the Pacific Northwest.

The term “paper captain” is given to an individual listed on documents as a U.S.-flagged vessel’s captain but in actuality serves as a deckhand or in a similar lower‐level capacity.

It is the law (46 USC §12131) that a documented vessel be under the command of a U.S. citizen.