Morro Bay Fishing Guide Service Pays Fine After Fishing In Closed Pacific Ocean Waters

From the San Luis Obispo Tribune, a local fishing charter service settled a case when it was determined their boat was fishing in closed waters in the Pacific. Here are some details on Black Pearl Sportfishing, which based out of Morro Bay:

On Monday, the company and its commercial sportfishing operator Brian Walker were fined $10,600 in civil penalties for violating state fishing laws, according to a news release from the District Attorney’s Office. They also agreed to pay another $2,000 to the county’s Fish and Game Fund, which goes toward programs that benefit fish and wild animals in the area.

The sanctions date back to July 12, 2025, when officers on patrol with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife spotted a boat on radar that they suspected had drifted into an off-limits fishing area near Piedras Blancas, north of San Simeon.

In thick fog, two officers were dispatched onto a small patrol boat to investigate, the release said. They located the Black Pearl and saw “20 customers fishing in waters seasonally prohibited to fishing.”

Read more at: https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article314811874.html#storylink=cpy