52-year-old Western Kentucky commercial fisherman Charles Hopkins was held accountable for his activities in a major enforcement of wildlife conservation regulations. He was convicted of planning to unlawfully collect and sell the highly prized caviar from shovelnose sturgeons.
Strict guidelines are in effect to avoid overexploitation since shovelnose sturgeons are classified as a conservation species. Hopkins was found guilty and given a 5-year probation period, along with fines of $20,000 to the Lacey Act Reward Account and $348,613 in reparation to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
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