The owner of an upscale Southern California restaurant and seafood shop known for promoting its products as sustainable and traceable has been fined more than $120,000 after a state investigation found he repeatedly violated commercial fishing laws and engaged in deceptive marketing practices.
Conner Mitchell, 37, who operates Dudley Market in Venice, illegally fished in Marine Protected Areas off the coast of Santa Barbara Island, among other locations, an investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) found. His catches included rockfish, Pacific bluefin tuna, and yellowtail.
“Violating fishing regulations that are intended to preserve Marine Protected Areas threatens the environment and the fishing industry that depend on sustainable fish stocks in the future,” said Santa Barbara County District Attorney John T. Savrnoch. “I am proud that my office was able to work with CDFW to protect these valuable resources.”…