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| Catfish |
A man was arrested and charged with illegal selling of fish related charges after he was caught selling catfish through the online advertising website Craigslist, according to police reports in Michigan.
Michigan Police said that a Grand Rapids man has been arrested for selling catfish online to an undercover wildlife official.
The man is accused of selling 14 catfish taken from the Kalamazoo River in Allegan County through the website Craigslist.
The Department of Natural Resources said that the state has received a tip about the advertisement. Undercover officers of the Wildlife Resources Protection Unit made contact with the man and bought a catfish from him on Tuesday. He was arrested shortly after the sale.
The sale of fish in this case is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a fine of between $250 and $1,000.
Department of Natural Resources Lieutenant Timothy Robson said that the law is meant to help protect commercial fishermen and state resources.
"Such people take away from the true and honest fisherman," he said. "Greed takes over if people are making a profit on it," he added.
Robson said that the law is also in place in order to avoid serious safety risks. “If you remember, more than 800,000 gallons of oil spilled into the Kalamazoo River, which is full of refineries, when a pipe broke in 2010,” Robson said.
"Due to the pollutants in the river, it is highly recommended that people do not eat the fish," Robson added. "If you buy fish under the table, there is no recourse if something happens. You have no idea what you bought or from where it came from," he added.
The suspect's name was not released pending a hearing later this month. However, authorities said the man has a criminal history, including convictions for felony drug and firearms violations.