More illegal collection practisies in the FKMS

[lduncan]

There has been more court action regarding dubious/illegal collection practises in the Florida Keys Marine Sanctury:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls/PressRele ... 23-02.html

Alexandre Alvarenga-Freire, 40, of Miami, Florida, pled guilty yesterday in Miami federal District Court in connection with the illegal harvesting and sale in interstate and foreign commerce of Ricordia florida, an invertebrate corallimorph, in violation of the federal Lacey Act, Title 16, United States Code, Sections 3372 and 3373.

United States District Court Judge Adalberto Jordan accepted the guilty plea and set sentencing in this matter for June 1, 2007 at 9:00 am. Freire faces a possible sentence of five (5) years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, three (3) years’ of supervised release, and an order of restitution. Additionally, a 1969, 34' fiberglass hulled Morgan sailing vessel, “PIPPIN,†which was used in the commission of the offense will be forfeited to the United States.

According to the Information filed in this matter, other court documents, and a statement of facts presented in Court, in November 2006 two German nationals were intercepted at Miami International Airport attempting to export 500 specimens of Ricordia florida, with live rock attached to the polyps, for sale through their business in Dusseldorf, Germany. They admitted to investigators that they had been involved with Freire in harvesting the marine life while aboard his vessel, the “PIPPINâ€, east of Cudjoe Key in Monroe County. Their description made clear the activity had occurred in the Sanctuary.

Investigators placed a Global Positioning System tracking device on the boat and monitored its location through January 25, 2007 when Freire was arrested at Cudjoe Key Marina returning from the Sanctuary with a load of 400 specimens of Ricordia florida. The tracking device placed the harvesting location within the Sanctuary, confirming the information from the German nationals. Further confirmation was acquired by having a Immigration and Customs Enforcement aircraft conduct an overflight of the vessel during the three-day harvesting trip prior to Freire’s arrest.

According to statements in Court, a team from NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program has evaluated the possibility of restoring the Ricordia seized from Freire at the time of his arrest to its natural habitat, in order to remediate some of the damage caused by his chiseling the polyps and live rock from the seabed. The cost associated with the effort is expected to exceed $78,000.

[reef]

Wow, Interesting stuff.

[lduncan]

This is a separate incident to Borneman's escapades.

[chimera]

interesting article, good that they bring those to justice with some strong punishments. you'd get a slap on the hand for doing that over here

[lduncan]

This from boomer is more or less what I said in a post here yesterday in clarifying some of wasps comments and questions. Unfortunately it was removed because it was though that some people could lose control in discussing the realities and truth of the situation. But here it is in the words of someone other than me:

Well, Eric needs some of that debasing, he has done enough of it on his own, to include calling Randy Holmes-Farley a fake chemist (on RC), Julian Sprung a fake biologist ( FAMA magazine), Bomber a fake marine biologist ( on RC and deleting his posts with no authority, because he made Eric look bad and the reason Eric is no longer on RC, he was virtually booted off) and demanding they prove themselves, by submitting where they got their degrees from and a peer-viewed articles they have written and attacking Sara on forums because she disagreed with him. Who is Eric to talk, he has not degrees in his claimed field at all and only a degree like in Business. His own website shows Degree : BA (that's it) He is, so he claims, to be working on his Ph.D in marine biology, which I belive he is doing but he still has no degrees in his field and no peer-reviewed articles, so who is he to attack these people who are real and have real degrees in their claimed field.

Sara is a lawyer and she use to be best friends with Eric and one of his biggest advocates in this hobby, always sticking up for him no matter what. Eric thinks he is so famous in this hobby he can do what ever he wants where ever he wants and not pay for it. Like balming his tank crash on some one breaking into his house, yet with zero evidence of anyone being in his house. And of coarse they drainge almost all the seawater from his tank and then repalced it with FW. Sure

Sara has not posted all the documents as she has not received them all yet form he FOIA. No one know what the outcome was yet or how it was settled . If Eric was half a man he would come out of hiding and explain himself, rather than hiding he issue. Maybe it is both Eric and NOAA's blunder that they don't want us to know.

Like I said in the post that was removed, karma's a bitch. But the fact remains irrespective of the personal issues underlying, the documents released under FOIA don't lie, there were some serious violations by Eric, and some substantial failings by the FKMS.

If the FKMS prosecute, then they implicate themselves, and their part in this. I understand that with the investigations and FOIA requests submitted by Sara, this debacle has reached people higher up in NOAA who were previously unaware of it, which may result in further action.

I am disappointed that the post was removed, because it also had information from the owner of the Reef Savers operation which brings to light the reality of what happened there, and their role in the care of the corals. Which again, seems consistent with the FOIA documents, and is again not particularly flattering for EB.

Layton