A fisherman from Kodiak, Alaska, was sentenced to six months in federal prison, and handed a $1 million (€850,022) fine on Aug. 6 for knowingly submitting false records on halibut and sablefish catches.
In addition, he was also sentenced to 126 days in a halfway house and 80 hours of community service, and must also make a public service announcement acknowledging his wrongdoing.
According to court documents, James Aaron Stevens, an experienced commercial fisherman, vessel owner and captain, pled guilty in November 2020 to falsely labeling fish in violation of the Lacey Act.
Stevens, the owner and operator of the fishing vessels Alaskan Star and Southern Seas, falsely reported where he harvested 903,208 pounds of individual fishing quota (IFQ) halibut and sablefish.
Stevens knowingly falsified numerous documents, including IFQ landing reports, Alaska Department of Fish & Game fish tickets and fishing logbooks, to show he harvested fish in locations and regulatory areas where he did not fish and omitted areas where he actually fished.
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Stevens committed the offense over the course of 26 fishing trips spanning four IFQ fishing seasons between 2014 and 2017.
Taken together, the halibut and sablefish that Stevens falsely reported had an approximate dock value of more than $4.5 million (€3.8 million) and a market value of $13.6 million (€11.5 million).
Stevens sold the falsely labeled fish caught during these trips, which were, or were intended to be, transported in interstate and foreign commerce.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of the case.
