Keystone Hatcheries—a division of Robinson Wholesale Inc. of Illinois—has
been sentenced in federal court to make $35,000 restitution to the Indiana
Department of Natural Resources and pay a $40,000 fine, after pleading
guilty to an indictment charging the firm with selling, or intending to
sell, live fish in the State of Indiana, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the
Northern District of Indiana said.
Keystone’s permit to import fish into Lake County was revoked by the DNR
after an outbreak of Whirling disease at its Illinois facility, the U.S.
Attorney’s Office said. “Whirling disease is a water-borne microscopic
parasite which causes physical deformities disrupting normal feeding and
swimming behavior of certain species of fish, ultimately killing them.”
The $35,000 restitution will be used for monitoring Whirling disease in
Indiana waters, while the $40,000 fine will be directed to the Lacey Act
reward fund, used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reward persons
who provide information about wildlife crimes and to pay the costs incurred
in caring for fish, wildlife, or plants being held in evidence in ongoing
investigations.
The case was investigated by DNR and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
with “critical assistance” from the Wisconsin and Illinois departments of
natural resources.
