June 19, 2013 — The government has welcomed a New York court’s decision that South Africa be paid $22.5 million (R225m) by three men convicted of importing illegally harvested rock lobster into the US.
“This is the largest restitution amount ever awarded under the Lacey Act,” the agriculture, forestry and fisheries ministry said yesterday.
The Lacey Act is a US law that makes it a crime to import fish, wildlife or plants that have been taken in violation of another country’s laws.
“On Friday [June 14], the US Court ordered that Arnold Bengis, Jeffrey Noll and David Bengis pay restitution of nearly $22.5m to South Africa following extensive, unlawful harvesting of south and west coast rock lobster in South African waters,” the ministry said.
Between 1987 and 2001, then managing director of Hout Bay Fishing Industries Arnold Bengis, his son, David, and Noll, who was the chairman and president of Icebrand Seafoods and Associated Sea Fisheries in Manhattan, engaged in a scheme to harvest large quantities of rock lobster illegally and export them to the US.
All three were South African citizens, but also held US citizenship, reports show.