Five hundred yards of abandoned shark gill net reportedly killed hundreds of sharks and fish, but it was one endangered, entangled loggerhead sea turtle that has a Port Salerno commercial shark fisherman facing up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.

An 18-month investigation led prosecutors in August to file a misdemeanor charge of unlawfully taking a protected species against James J. Allman. He pleaded guilty on Wednesday, and faces a January sentencing.

The shark gill net was found drifting about five miles east of the St. Lucie Inlet in January 2004. Prosecutors report Allman admitted cutting the net loose from his boat, and failed to report abandoning the net. Because of its weight, it took the Coast Guard a week to remove the net, giving divers plenty of time to document its destructiveness.

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