Coral Theif Sent to Jail

[smcnally]

Saw this over on another board and thought I'd share...

Miami black market coral thief sent to jail
By CAMMY CLARK


A Miami man will forfeit his boat and spend 10 months in jail for illegally harvesting brilliantly colorful corallimorphs, prized for saltwater aquariums, from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Alexandre Alvarenga, 40, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Adalberto Jordan, who accepted his guilty plea for illegally taking 900 living specimens of Ricordea florida so that he could sell them.

''We've had a couple of instances like that where people got busted, but they only got small fines and a slap on the wrist,'' said Ken Nedimyer, leader of an innovative staghorn coral restoration project in the sanctuary. ``I think this case shows they are sending out a clear message. It's good.''

 

[Rays]

That is awsome! I wish they'd start doing that with animal abuse criminals also.

 

[xp964]

One of my clients just sent me that article - I was just about to post it here too!

 

[RichConley]

mushrooms are prized for saltwater aquariums?

 

[Greg Hiller]

Ricordia go for good money. Glad to hear they threw the book at him.

 

[APISTOBORELLI]

Wonder if any of those rics made it this way....

 

[saltnut]

Wonder if any are still alive. I hope they put them right back were they came from.