Hmmm... A father and daughter from Chuuk admitted in U.S. District Court on Friday that they did not have permission from the Federated States of Micronesia to export the 60 pounds of giant clam meat they had in a cooler when they showed up at Honolulu Airport. Leo John, 52, and his daughter Flyona Lynn John, 22, each pleaded guilty to violating the Endangered Species Act. They each face up to a year in jail at sentencing in June. Flyona Lynn John said she didnt declare that she had the clam meat, which was hidden under some cooked breadfruit, when she entered the country in February 2013. Prosecutor Marshall Silverberg said Leo John was running for office, and he wanted to share the clam meat with supporters in Hawaii. The clam meat is a delicacy in Chuuk. The United States is a signatory to an international treaty regarding plants and animals that could face extinction if their trade is not regulated. The Endangered Species Act enforces the treaty. The law requires people from countries that are not signatories to the treaty, like the Federated States of Micronesia, to have documented permission from that country to export any of the plants and animals listed on the treaty when the enter the United States.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Mar 2014 23:58:07 +0000
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