In May 1998, Kloubec directed his employees to bring "breeder" bighead carp from Randolph County Fish Farm in Missouri to his Iowa fish farm with the intention of raising the species in one of 63 ponds on the complex. These carp subsequently spawned, creating about 1 million bighead "fry" that were later returned to ponds at the Missouri farm. Kloubec knew it was illegal to possess, import or export bighead carp without a permit, but did not apply to the state for one.
Kloubec had applied for a permit to bring black carp into Iowa in 1992 and 1993. In both cases, permission was denied by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, citing potential dangers to native fish species should the carp be introduced into state waters. Black carp were similarly banned in Missouri. Despite the prohibitions, Kloubec bought 1,000 live black carp from a fish farm in Arkansas in May 1998, and transported them to the Randolph County Fish Farm in Missouri. He took 200 of the black carp to Iowa where he personally stocked them into ponds at his Amana farm.
In July 1998, Kloubec illegally imported 10,150 live gold sea bass "fry" to Iowa from Taiwan. Kloubec had a license to import wildlife from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, however, the license did not authorize Kloubec to import fish prohibited by state law.
Iowa law limits commercial propagation of fish to mostly native fish and requires special permits for propagation of non-native, potentially injurious fish species. The possession, import/export and interstate transportation of the black carp, bighead carp and gold sea bass violated sections of the Lacey Act, a federal wildlife protection law that prohibits trade in species protected or banned by state laws.
Kloubec also pleaded guilty to one violation of killing federally protected migratory birds. In June and July 1998, Kloubec was observed shooting birds flying over his ponds, killing at least two terns and one kingfisher. The birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The investigation was conducted jointly by special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Kloubecks fine will be paid into the Lacey Act reward fund, an account that pays rewards to persons who provide information to law enforcement agencies about violations of federal wildlife laws. Persons having information about violations of federal wildlife laws are urged to contact special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The special agent in Iowa can be reached at 515-284-4125.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
For more information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes Big Rivers Region, please visit our home pages at: http://midwest.fws.gov
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