A Kodiak fisherman has been given prison time and a ban on involvement in commercial fishing to run for two years of supervised release following his one-year prison term for illegally trafficking diseased crab.
Corey Potter pleaded guilty to two felony counts of violating the Lacey Act in February. In early March 2024, based on information from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement initiated an investigation into two Alaska crab catcher vessels. They were allegedly transporting catch out of Alaska without first properly landing the crab in the state as required by law.
Corey Potter was the owner and operator of the crab catcher vessels Gambler and Arctic Dawn. The investigation revealed that he directed the vessels’ operators, Kyle Potter and Justin Welch, to transport live crab harvested in Alaska through Canadian waters to Seattle, where they planned to fetch higher prices for the sales. Arctic Dawn had more than 1900kg of live Tanner crab on board, and Gambler held more than 1300kg of live golden king crab.
Several crab fishermen expressed concern to Corey and Kyle Potter regarding their plan to transport the crab out of Alaska due to Bitter Crab Syndrome. This is a fatal parasitic disease affecting crustaceans. The fishermen cautioned that infected crab could harm the fishery’s reputation and, consequently, the market for Alaskan crab.
The warnings were disregarded and they unlawfully departed Alaska without landing the crab or submitting completed reports, in violation of Alaska law. They were fully aware that some of the Tanner crab were almost certainly infected. The US authorities tracked the vessels from Alaska to Washington, intercepted them at the dock in Seattle, and seized the catch.
NOAA Fisheries collaborated with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, who offloaded the Tanner crab and disposed of them securely. Approximately 42% of the king crab were dead prior to landing and therefore unmarketable.
Co-defendant Justin Welch pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act and was sentenced to three years’ probation, and a $10,000 fine. Co-defendant Kyle Potter pleaded guilty to one count of violating the Lacey Act. He was sentenced to five years’ probation, including a five-year worldwide ban on any commercial fishing and a $20,000 fine.
‘The sustainability of Alaska’s fisheries depends on honest fishermen, strong statutory oversight, and industry members who engage in fair business practices,’ said Benjamin Cheeseman, Assistant Director, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division.
‘These sentences serve to protect lawful stakeholders into the future, by sending a clear message to would-be offenders. We remain committed to holding violators accountable and safeguarding Alaska’s fisheries for future generations.’
