NY Man Arrested On Federal Charges Of Illegally Importing Nearly 4,000 Snakehead Fish

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A New York man who admitted smuggling nearly 4,000 live Chinese snakehead fish, which pose a danger to fish native to U.S. waters, was arrested on criminal charges, prosecutors said on Thursday.

The snakehead - a delicacy in Chinese and Korean cuisine - has been banned in New York since 2004 because it is considered a danger to local fish and wildlife. Snakeheads are air-breathing fish and can travel short distances over land to find a suitable habitat.

Yong Hao Wu, 43, the owner of the Brooklyn-based Howei Trading Inc., was accused of arranging a shipment of 353 live fish in tanks which arrived from Macau by air on February 13, falsely labeled as a legal species of fish, said the Queens District Attorney's Office. After his arrest on Wednesday, Wu allegedly admitted that he had arranged for six previous snakehead shipments in January and February 2010, totaling 3,889 fish.

Wu was charged with felony commercialization of wildlife and importing fish dangerous to indigenous fish populations. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

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http://planetark.org/enviro-news/item/61864