Fisherman charged with stabbing sea lion

[gimme]

A Garden Grove fisherman was charged today with violating the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act by stabbing a California sea lion that later had to be euthanized.

Hai Nguyen, 24, of Garden Grove was charged with a misdemeanor count of taking and "attempting to harass, hunt, and kill a California sea lion," according to documents filed in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana this morning.

The offense carries a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison and a $20,000 fine.

Nguyen was arrested in Newport Beach on July 27 for allegedly stabbing a California sea lion repeatedly with a steak knife after the animal stole his bait. The sea lion, which was swimming near the dock Nguyen was fishing from on Balboa Peninsula, was apparently so close that the fisherman could reach down and stab the animal.

The sea lion, a 6-foot female weighing about 150 pounds, was trapped by animal control officers and taken to Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna Beach that afternoon. Doctors determined the animal could not be saved and euthanized it.



Here's the story.

Fisherman charged with stabbing sea lion - Los Angeles Times

Ironic how they decided to euthanize it. Probably had a chance of surviving in the wild.

[bentover]

With a name like that, Hai Nguyen he was probably going to eat it!

[sealskinner]

Shoulda sushi'd that bitch up, when nobody was lookin. Wheres his defense fund?

[JiGGZ]

Originally Posted by bentover

With a name like that, Hai Nguyen he was probably going to eat it!

With a name like that? HMMMMM You Know a lot of Vietnamese people do you? Seen Sealion or seal meat at the ole Vien Dong did ya? Or was it Ranch 99?

[megustafish5]

Originally Posted by bentover

With a name like that, Hai Nguyen he was probably going to eat it!

i dont care what his name is I like his style

[sam1963]

How maney fishermen must suffer befor the Feds ok the culling of the herd.
we could sell seal tags like dear tags.
and have a bow season first and a shot gun season with dear slugs seckond.
I'm sure the DFG would welcom the extra revenew.
And because the seals live in the sea , a California sate fishing lisence and a seal tag would sufice,NOT A HUNTING LISENCE,should be able to killum like tomcod.
what fun we could have Wile reinstilling the feer of man back in to the population
as it should be .Starting with Newport Harber.

[ryanm]

Yeah, and next we can have Pelican season?

[SNEEKEE]

fuck Ill move back to socal for the season

[michael mclough]

There is nothing like the fishy breath of a california sea lion first thing in the morning. I know because I was to be a an animal keeper at Seaworld. Sea lions are only driven by appetite. That is way they are so easy to train. Unfortunating their appetite governs 95% of what they do hence they are constantly running afoul of fisherman.
I view them as part of the ombiance of fishing and only a slight hinderance in most cases. If you fish offshore they aren't there to much. I would never harm a sea lion any more than I would harm a dog. They are very similar in most ways accept there adaptation to a water environment. Remember you are taking their only food supply. Yes they are going to compete because that is what animals in the ocean do if they expect to live.

[SNEEKEE]

you need to kill sealoin's for controll like you need to kill elk and other animal's to manage them so they don't kill all the food sorce and then kill them self's it comon fucking sence

[frijolitos]

Originally Posted by SNEEKEE

you need to kill sealoin's for controll like you need to kill elk and other animal's to manage them so they don't kill all the food sorce and then kill them self's it comon fucking sence

and if you kill enough "sealoins", can you get tenderloins out of them, and then take it directly to the "sorce" and get a dollar and fifty "sence" for each one. apart from a few grammatical errors steenky, you seem to be coming around

[SNEEKEE]

Ya