Army personnel seized a tonne of California spiny lobster yesterday in Ensenada, Baja California.
Soldiers carrying out an inspection of a three-tonne truck in Ejido Ajusco led to the discovery of a hidden compartment under the truck’s bed, where 32 boxes containing the illegal catch were found.
Authorities believe that the cargo’s destination was the black market where a kilogram of the lobster would sell for US $60 to $70, which would have generated illicit revenue of $70,000.
The driver of the truck was placed under arrest.
The spiny lobster fishing season in Baja California starts in mid-September and concludes in mid-February. At the end of the last season, the state fisheries agency reported that close to 700 tonnes of the crustacean had been caught.
Source: Ensenada.net (sp), Ensenada Online (sp)
