Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries enforcement agents cited a New Orleans man for alleged charter boat violations on July 3 in Plaquemines Parish.
Agents cited Laurance Eustis, 38, for charging for charter fishing trips without the required licenses. He was additionally cited for not obtaining the required Recreational Offshore Landing Permit (ROLP).
Agents received information in June about Eustis taking customers out for charter fishing trips without the required licenses. Agents found that Eustis has not held a valid charter guide license since 2019 and does not possess the U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license.
Agents began investigating Eustis’ activity and documented eight individual for hire fishing trips that he took with paying customers. Eustis also took customers offshore trips targeting red snapper.
LDWF requires all for hire charter fishermen to have a U.S. Coast Guard captain’s license, an LDWF charter boat fishing guide license and proof of at least $300,000 liability insurance all in their possession while on the water and fishing.
Charter captains, including those fishing from vessels with a valid federal charter/head boat permit, are required to have a valid charter ROLP to possess tunas, billfish, swordfish, amberjacks, groupers, snappers, hinds, cobia, wahoo, gray triggerfish and dolphinfish in Louisiana waters. A Charter ROLP covers all paying anglers on a charter trip.
Failing to have a charter guide license carries up to a $950 fine and 120 days in jail for each trip conducted. In addition to any other penalty provided for any person convicted of a second offense of violating charter guide regulations the offender may only operate a vessel that employs a vessel monitoring system for the three years after the date of the conviction. Failing to obtain an ROLP carries up to a $50 fine.
Participating agents for this case are Senior Agent Heather Fitzgerald and Lt. Adam Young.
