Queens District Attorney Richard Brown told the media that Rakower was "driven by greed and without regard for the health and safety of people or the environment."īut Rakower's lawyer told Newsday that Rakower had been in the wholesale tropical fish supply business for 30 years and that he made an error in judgment and is now paying for it.įollow Brian Clark Howard on Twitter and Google+. In his plea, Rakower agreed to pay more than $70,000 in fines and restitution, and his company will get two years of probation. In December 2012, one piranha species, the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus), was recognized for having the strongest bite, pound for pound, among living fish. Vintage Silver Plated Spring Fork Olive Grabber Barware Mechanical Tongs. (Watch: " World's Deadliest: Piranhas Devour Chick.") Fish suncatcher Piranha fish Stained glass fish window hangings Fishing gift. states because of the danger they can pose to people.Īlthough piranhas might not be quite as fierce as Teddy Roosevelt thought in 1913, they can still inflict nasty bites on people. There are about 20 known species, and the fish are illegal or restricted in 25 U.S. Piranhas are aggressive, territorial freshwater fish with sharp teeth they are native to South America. (Watch: " Wild Justice: Piranha Crackdown.") New York City prohibits possession of piranhas, and the federal Lacey Act prohibits importing of wildlife and plants that are deemed illegal. They sometimes use their mighty mouths to gobble up other fish or animals such as. In his plea, Rakower said his Queens-based company, Transship Discounts, bought the sharp-toothed fish from a Hong Kong tropical fish supplier and told the supplier to falsely label them as "silver tetras," a popular and nonaggressive aquarium fish. Fish Red-Bellied Piranha ON THE HUNT Red-bellied piranhas live in lakes and rivers in South America. (Read: " 6 Bizarre Animal Smuggling Busts.") Joel Rakower, 66, entered his plea in federal court in Brooklyn for alleged offenses from 2011 to 2012, when he said he smuggled 39,548 piranhas, worth $37,376. The provinces Conservation Officer Service said the fisherman caught a red-bellied piranha at Westwood Lake, a popular fishing and swimming hole near the Vancouver Island city. Piranhas or catfish congregating to catch an easy meal would build up in large numbers, causing them to act just as they do when trapped in a small pool. The 1lb 4oz catch was identified as a red-bellied piranha, whose diet consists mainly of fish, insects and worms. On Wednesday a New York City man pleaded guilty to smuggling nearly 40,000 piranhas into the city illegally. Talk about taking a bite out of the Big Apple.
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