CAPE CHARLES

Thursday afternoon the crew of a Coast Guard helicopter based in Elizabeth City spotted a charter boat about four miles off the Virginia coast.

The boat was fishing in the exclusive economic zone, or EEZ, which separates local waters from federal waters. The boat, based out of Oregon Inlet, N.C., was fishing Atlantic striped bass.

Fishing for Atlantic striped bass is allowed in state waters, but illegal in the EEZ.

A boat crew with Cape Charles Coast Guard Station seized 11 Atlantic striped bass from the boat and donated them to the Cape Charles Food Pantry. An investigation is ongoing.

The name of the charter boat?

Poacher.