A cargo inspection of crabs got Captain Elliott Neese busted.
Neese, one of the stars of Deadliest Catch , had a large load of crabs hauled in after being out at sea, and they didn’t meet minimum requirements. Alaskan officials at Dutch Harbor reportedly inspected the crabs on his boat, “Saga,” and discovered several undersized crabs.
TMZ broke the story and reports that the incident occurred back in November. Red King Crab is extremely valuable, and the fisherman on Deadliest Catch are out for months on the harsh Bering Sea trying to haul in as many as possible.
Officials took a sample of Elliott Neese’s cargo and found 13 “undersized” crabs. The report states that usually “rookies” make those types of mistakes, and it’s highly illegal. Neese was fined $6,000, but it was reduced to $3,000 after he pled guilty.
Neese is the youngest captain on Deadliest Catch , and has openly defended himself against critics by saying he’s made out to be the show’s villain. Being a part of the cast is something he enjoys, but he has his share of issues on Discovery Channel’s hit show.
Last season, a lot of focus was on Neese’s problems with alcohol addiction and how his personal issues were exasperating his crew on the Saga. His father, Mike Neese, expressed concern for his son and everything that was weighing on him.
In an emergency situation seen on Deadliest Catch Season 10, the 31-year-old captain sprang to action when a 93-foot fishing boat not far from Unalaska crashed when it hit some rocks. He put out a distress call, and his crew on the Saga were able to get the stranded fishermen off the wrecked boat.
In an interview Elliott gave to Boating magazine, he says that he doesn’t try to “appease” the camera. Despite his honesty about how it feels to be a villain on the show, Discovery evidently values Elliott’s contribution to the show as a controversial captain.
“I tell it straight. I don’t appease the camera, and maybe that doesn’t always come off right. But remember, reality TV isn’t real. It’s entertainment, that’s it.”
Elliott Neese also says he loves “proving people wrong.” He doesn’t shy away from reacting to those who bash him on social media. If you read his Twitter feed, he has no problem calling people out when he feels attacked. When he was absent from the Season 9 promo for Deadliest Catch in 2013, the internet went crazy — fans wondered where he was. As it turned out, it was formatted for dramatic effect and it worked like a charm.
[Image via Discovery]
