South Africa Awarded Delicious Sum for Stolen Lobster

[WSJ Law Blog]

The price of tasty, South African rock lobster just went up. A federal judge recommended that three defendants -- who pled guilty nearly a decade ago to overfishing the lobster and then sneaking it into the U.S. -- pay $54.9 million to the government of South Africa.



The proposal marks the first time a court has ordered restitution paid to a foreign government under the Lacey Act, according to experts on the subject.

Courts often order that violators of the Lacey Act pay restitution, but usually to state governments in the U.S., according to experts. The fact that a foreign government may receive such a significant payment is seen by legal experts as a milestone for Lacey Act prosecutions and an extension of its reach.

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