James Hanson, the owner of Captain Jim Hanson’s Seafood Restaurant and Market, was convicted and sentenced in connection to illegal importation of queen conch and spiny lobster.

According to court documents, in December 2005, Coast Guard patrol officers boarded James Hanson’s 37.8-footer REDEEMED and found over 1,000 pounds of undeclared spiny lobster and approximately 340 pounds of queen conch. Officials say Hanson’s intention was to transfer the seafood without proper Bahamian and International licensing to the United States for market sale through his own company, Hanson Seafood, Inc. Queen conch is a protected species under the Endangered Species Act and subject to strict trade guidelines under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) treaty.

James Hanson pled guilt to his imposed sentence during District Court proceedings. In late September, Hanson was sentenced to pay a criminal fine of $75,000, ordered to perform 300 hours of community service, and to serve a period of three year’s probation. He was also ordered to relinquish any claim to the proceeds of the seized product, which was valued at $13,930. Additionally, Hanson was ordered to forfeit the boat used to commit of the offense. Hanson Seafood, Inc. is no longer an active business entity.

In imposing Hanson’s sentence, the Court took into consideration Hanson’s cooperation with the government’s investigation and a pending donation by Hanson of approximately 223 acres of undeveloped property on Windley Key near Tavernier, Florida, to the State of Florida for preservation as a part of the Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park. The property of mixed hammock, wetlands, and surrounding shallows is prime breeding and nursery habitat for queen conch and spiny lobster.