Ventura County – The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced on Monday that William Porter McHenry, a local fishing boat captain, has been fined for illegally dumping toxic waste into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast.
McHenry, who owns and operates McHenry Fisheries, Inc., was found to have allowed waste known as “stick water” to be dumped from his fishing vessel, the 67-foot Sea Pearl. The incident occurred on December 6, 2024, when authorities observed the Sea Pearl heading out to sea and releasing the toxic mixture before returning to shore.
Stick water, a byproduct of the squid fishing process, is a mixture of ink and ammonia released by squid as they die in the fish hold. According to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office (VCDA), this mixture is highly toxic and classified as a harmful substance. It is created when squid, caught in nets, are placed into a fish hold filled with saltwater. As the squid perish, they release ink, which can pose a significant threat to local marine life…