Elliott Neese’s Small-Crab Fine
There is a tight set of rules that must be followed by everyone in the Alaskan seas in order for crab fishing to continue. Elliott Neese is a seasoned captain who has spent years as a regular cast member on Deadliest Catch, yet he committed the rookie mistake of catching undersized crab, with the fishery authorities discovering 13 on his boat.
Only the older, larger crabs are allowed to be transported to shore. Captains are responsible for their boats, so Elliott was charged $6,000 for his negligence. Neese’s penalties were reduced to $3,000 after pleading guilty, but the damage was done to his reputation.