BOSTON — An audit of how fishery cops used millions in federal fines collected from fishermen indicates they wrongly spent it on take-home cars, boats and travel.
The audit was commissioned by the Inspector General of the U.S. Commerce Department earlier this year after that office found mismanagement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s law enforcement office.
Fishermen have persistently complained about arbitrary enforcement and said the fines amounted to a bounty because NOAA kept the money.
The audit of the Asset Forfeiture Fund by the accounting firm KPMG was released today. It said NOAA didn’t track the fund, which received $96 million between January 2005 and June 2009.
NOAA said today that it’s taken several steps to increase accountability and is committed to making the fund transparent.
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