Exotic Fish Dealer Indicted for Allegedly Trafficking 'Invasive' Snakehead Species - Newsweek

Exotic Fish Dealer Indicted for Allegedly Trafficking 'Invasive' Snakehead Species - Newsweek

Exotic Fish Dealer Indicted for Allegedly Trafficking 'Invasive' Snakehead Species - Newsweek

Posted: 16 Nov 2020 12:00 AM PST

An exotic fish seller in Pennsylvania has been indicted for allegedly trafficking an invasive and endangered species to the states, federal officials announced Monday.

Anthony Nguyen, also known as JoJo Nguyen or Jackie Lee, was charged with illegally importing and selling two species in violation of the Lacey Act. Along with importing the endangered Asian arowana, or "dragon fish," the 48-year-old Pittsburgh man is said to have sold snakehead fish, an invasive species native to Asia that can quickly overwhelm ecosystems and has the ability to migrate across land.

"Snakeheads present a serious risk to our native ecosystems," Jonathan D. Brightbill, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division, said in a statement. "These fish are prohibited for a reason. They are voracious predators, can live out of water for days, can move across land, and can wipe out the native species that inhabit freshwaters of the United States."

Snakehead Fish
An invasive snakehead fish is pictured after being pulled from a canal in Weston, Florida on May 16, 2012. Joe Raedle/Getty

Nguyen was indicted on two counts of allegedly selling the "aggressive" species in 2019, along with falsely labelling the fish for shipment across state lines by providing a fake name and address in place of his own. Under the Lacey Act, the maximum penalty for illegally importing wildlife deemed "injurious," as the snakehead fish are, is six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Populations of snakehead fish, apparently set free intentionally, have been spotted across the U.S. since at least 2002, when they were added to the list of "injurious" species, with a particularly large population wreaking havoc on the Potomac River's ecosystem. The fish may have been introduced into the river during the cultural tradition of a "prayer release," according to National Geographic.

Nguyen also faces one count for allegedly importing Asian arowana fish in 2016. The species may be the most expensive freshwater fish in the world, rumored to have sold for up to $300,000, according to CNBC. Despite being banned for sale in the U.S., they remain in high demand for aquarium owners who delve into the black market. In Asian cultures, the fish are sometimes associated with good luck and wealth.

"The illegal trafficking of endangered and invasive wildlife represents a serious threat to our critical ecosystems," said U.S. Attorney Scott W. Brady of the Western District of Pennsylvania. "I commend the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement for their investigation of this matter. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute those individuals who engage in the illegal selling of wildlife."

Newsweek reached out to the Office of Law Enforcement at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for comment.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year
Read more