April 20, 2012 – A New York seafood importer has agreed to forfeit $2.1 million after federal prosecutors allege it bought 112 tons of king crab that had been illegally harvested from Russian waters.
A New York seafood importer has agreed to forfeit $2.1 million after federal prosecutors allege it bought 112 tons of king crab that had been illegally harvested from Russian waters.
The crab was imported into the U.S. through Seattle using false or misleading documents.
"International trade involving illegal seafood products is a widespread problem that threatens the integrity of our food supply and undermines efforts to protect valuable natural resources," U.S. Attorney Jenny A. Durkan said in a statement. "The financial loss to the importer in this case should put all seafood importers on notice that they need to ensure that the products they import are legally harvested and imported."
The case started in December 2010, when New York-based Harbor Seafood attempted to import three containers of frozen, cooked crab through the Port of Seattle. Federal agents with the National Marine Fisheries Service seized the shipment when it became clear the boxes were mislabeled.
Read the full article at the Seattle Times.