NOAA Enforcement inspected shipment containers in New York and removed an estimated 20 tonnes (43,800 pounds) of illegal catfish, and a federal judge found four seafood importers guilty in a conspiracy to illegally smuggle prohibited catfish into the United States.
‘This case demonstrates the importance of collaboration across US government partners to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing,’ said James Landon, Director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE).
‘This should serve as a reminder that those who break the rules will be held accountable—protecting honest fishermen and good actors.’
NOAA Enforcement was alerted in January of 2019 by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) of potential illegal catfish imports coming through New York. Special agents and officers at the New York and New Jersey Container Port Terminals investigated this information.
During the investigation, OLE and CBP agents examined several of the defendants’ shipment containers, collected fish samples, and identified two illegal species of catfish through forensic examination. The defendants had falsely labelled the illegal catfish species as rohu and carp – species that can be legally imported.
Federal agents then embargoed the shipments, and CBP officials safely destroyed all of the illegally imported catfish.
Mahmud Chowdhury was sentenced to three years probation, a $25,000 fine, and 300 hours of community service. Defendants Belayet Hussain, Shakil Ahmed, and Firoz Ahammad were each sentenced to two years probation, $5000 fines, and 200 hours of community service. Together, the four defendants were also sentenced to a $354,000 joint asset forfeiture.
