Spiny lobster. Photo by: Rhett A. Butler.
Three men who illegally harvested lobster from South African waters and smuggled them to the U.S. for 14 years have been ordered to pay $54.9 million in restitution to the South African government by a District Court in Manhattan. According to the Pew Environment Group this is the largest restitution order under the U.S. Lacey Act, which deals with the illegal wildlife trade. The judgement, however, still requires the approval of a district judge.
“These defendants stole an environmental asset from South Africa, and it is only fair that they pay the country back for that theft,” Karen Sack, director of international ocean conservation for the Pew Environment Group, said in a statement. “This unprecedented ruling shows that the U.S. can and will take concerted action to stop illegal fishing and bring those U.S. citizens engaging in it to justice, whether it has occurred within or outside of U.S. waters.”
From 1987-2001, the three fishermen harvested massive numbers of lobster off of South Africa. After pleading guilty in 2003, the men were sentenced to jail time. At the time the court ruled that the men did not have to pay restitution of the government of South Africa, but that decision was subsequently appealed by the U.S. government.
Illegal fishing is a global problem that has contributed to the depletion of fisheries worldwide. A study in 2009, estimated the total cost of illegal and unreported fishing at $10-23.5 billion annually.
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