The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that a local fishing boat captain has been fined for illegally dumping toxic waste into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast.
William Porter McHenry, who owns and operates McHenry Fisheries, Inc., allowed waste known as “stick water” to be dumped in the ocean, according to a VCDA release . The vessel run by McHenry Fisheries, the 67-foot Sea Pearl, was observed by authorities heading out to sea while releasing stick water and then returning on Dec. 6, 2024.
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Stick water is created during the squid fishing process, Ventura County officials said, explaining that squid are caught with nets and placed in the boat’s fish hold, which is filled with saltwater.
“As the squid die, they release ink containing high levels of ammonia, turning the water dark and toxic,” the Ventura County DA’s Office said in their release. “This mixture…is classified as a harmful substance.”
Once the squid are brought onshore, fishing companies are required by law to store the stick water and any leftover wastewater in their vessel’s hull. They must then properly dispose of the stick water at least three nautical miles offshore, officials said, as it can harm local marine life.
McHenry, however, did not do that, according to Ventura County authorities…