Illegal Trade In Sonoma Coast Fish Exposed, Rohnert Park Husband-Wife Operation Banned

ROHNERT PARK-COTATI, CA — Authorities barred a couple from fishing and stripped them of their angling gear after the man and wife admitted to operating an illegal fish Business out of their Rohnert Park home, according to the Sonoma County District Attorney's Office.

Richard and Shalley Tran pleaded to two counts of illegally selling and exchanging fish for profit or personal gain, prosecutors said.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife started the investigation in 2024 after receiving a tip that the Trans were involved in the unlawful commercialization of sport-caught fish, mainly from waters off the Sonoma Coast.

Prosecutors said surveillance showed the Trans processing their catch in their Rohnert Park home. Investigators also watched the Trans making illegal sales from homes and businesses in Sonoma County and around the Bay Area.

They said the couple further violated state laws by using an unregistered fishing vessel, working with unlicensed crews, operating without a Fish Receiver's License, and failing to "land" their fish.

"Landing” means bringing a catch ashore, which starts the paper trail that allows Fish and Wildlife authorities to track fish as they move through the market. "By skipping the landing step, commercial fishers circumvent paying landing fees and can also avoid claiming their subsequent fish sales as income for tax purposes," the D.A.'s office said in an announcement.

Fish and Wildlife authorities said they believe the Trans sold fish illegally for at least a decade.

Authorities seized the couple’s fishing equipment and barred them from any fishing activities for a year. The Trans also forfeited $66,000 in cash that the Fish and Wildlife agency seized from their home.

The D.A.'s office said the money represents "just a portion of the proceeds of their illegal fish business."