A crabber from Kodiak, Alaska, U.S.A., was sentenced to one year in prison after leading a plot to illegally transport his catch to Washington state, where he believed the crabs would fetch a much higher price.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the scheme violated the Lacey Act, which prohibits the trafficking of fish taken, possessed, transported, or sold in violation of any state or federal law.
"Alaska’s fisheries are a global model of sustainable, data-driven management, made possible by the dedication of honest fishermen, strong regulatory oversight, and a commitment to upholding fairness across the industry,” Benjamin Cheeseman, assistant director of the North Pacific Division of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, said in a statement. “This sentencing serves as a clear reminder that there are serious consequences for those who break the rules. We remain committed to holding violators accountable and safeguarding Alaska’s fisheries for future generations.”
The government alleges that Corey Potter, the owner and operator of two crab catcher vessels in Alaska, directed the captains of those vessels to transport their catch of live Tanner and golden king crab to Seattle, Washington, where they were expected to fetch a much higher price. The captains did not land their harvest at port or report the catch on a fish ticket, as required by state law.
Complicating matters, Potter was made aware that one vessel’s catch of 4,200 pounds of Tanner crab was infected with the parasitic Bitter Crab Syndrome disease, which is fatal to crustaceans. Due to the contamination, the entire catch had to be disposed of in a landfill by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after the vessel arrived in Seattle.
The other vessel, which was carrying 2,900 pounds of live golden king crab, experienced 42 percent mortality before arriving in port.
After being served a search warrant, Potter and the two captains deleted text messages outlining their plan and their knowledge of Bitter Crab Syndrome contamination.
On 7 February, Potter pled guilty to two violations of the Lacey Act. On 13 May, he was sentenced to one year in prison and two years on supervised release. Potter was also banned from commercial fishing throughout the supervised release. The two captains, Kyle Potter and Justin Welch, were previously sentenced to five years of probation and a USD 20,000 (EUR 17,944) fine and three years of probation and a USD 10,000 (EUR 8,971) fine, respectively.
“Crabbing is a vital component of Alaska’s fishing industry. Mr. Potter blatantly disregarded state and federal fishing laws and ignored the concerns of other fisherman when he directed his two captains to execute the illegal transport, resulting in the reckless loss of over 5,000 pounds of crab,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska Michael J. Heyman said in a statement. “The laws protecting this industry help ensure Alaska’s fisheries are sustainable for years to come. My office will continue to work with state and federal law enforcement partners to prosecute federal criminal violations that jeopardize Alaska’s fisheries.”
