A FLORIDA fisherman and restaurant owner who was convicted in the United States of illegally fishing in Bahamian waters will buy the Royal Bahamas Defence Force a new vessel as part of a plea deal.

In a statement, the US National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration said Henry Danzig, 56, was sentenced on Thursday to a year’s probation for illegally harvesting commercial quantities of reef fish from Bahamian waters.

The Florida man harvested the reef fish near Cay Sal Bank and transported them back to the United States in violation of the Lacey Act, NOAA said.

As a result of his plea deal, Danzig was sentenced to one year’s probation and a substantial payment of restitution to The Bahamas in the form of a new 2021 30-foot Contender vessel. The boat has a starting price of more than $200,000.

NOAA said Danzig and four other people were intercepted by the US Coast Guard outside of Tavernier, Florida in May 2020 while returning from Bahamian waters.

The Coast Guard escorted the vessel back to Danzig’s waterfront home and together with Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission officers, they determined that Danzig and company were in possession of 167 reef fish, NOAA said.

The group was accused of harvesting the fish in Bahamian waters without a valid Bahamian sports-fishing licence, and without first clearing Bahamian Customs.

“Even if Danzig had followed the rules, his catch was still nearly eight times over the legal Bahamian bag limit,” NOAA added. “The Coast Guard seized and transferred custody of the fish to NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, who began an investigation.”

US special agents later seized two GPS units from Danzig’s 39-foot Contender fishing vessel named Bodacious.

He was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, trafficking 529 pounds of illegally harvested fish from the Bahamas back to the United States.

“This case is a double win for The Bahamas and the United States,” said US Embassy in Nassau Chargé d’affaires Usha Pitts. “Not only did our two countries collaborate to confiscate fish harvested illegally, the case resulted in the transfer of a brand-new vessel that the Royal Bahamas Defence Force can use to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the future. We will continue to work with our Bahamian partners to promote responsibility and accountability in Bahamian waters by all fishing vessels.”

According to NOAA, this kind of violation is not uncommon.

“Many fishermen from the United States choose to fish in Bahamian waters due to its close proximity,” said Manny Antonaras, assistant director of NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement, Southeast Division. “We want to make sure that they do so legally.”