Honolulu Man Who Trafficked Illegally-Caught Hawaiian Tropical Fish Sentenced to Probation and Home Detention

HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Shane Takasane, 43, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Shanlyn A. S. Park to three years of probation for selling illegally-caught Hawaiian yellow tang and kole tang, in violation of the Lacey Act. Takasane pled guilty to those charges on August 6, 2025. Takasane’s conditions of probation included 45 days of home confinement, 50 hours of community service to an organization focused on improving the marine environment, and the payment of $10,100 in restitution to the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources.

As part of his guilty plea, Takasane admitted that in June through August 2023, Takasane arranged with divers to obtain Hawaiian yellow tang and kole tang, which the defendant sold to a buyer on the U.S. Mainland without the required commercial fish license. Takasane also admitted as part of his plea  agreement that on multiple occasions between July 2023 and June 2024, he imported snakehead fish, which are considered injurious to domestic wildlife, and Asian arowanas, which are protected by the Endangered Species Act, in violation of federal law.

“The protection of Hawaii’s wildlife is a critical component in preserving the unique and beautiful marine environment that draws so many to our islands,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will continue to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FBI, and other agencies to aggressively investigate, arrest, and convict those who seek to profit by violating the laws and regulations that safeguard Hawaii’s precious ocean wildlife.”

“The illegal trade of native Hawaiian marine species threatens fragile coral reef ecosystems, while the smuggling of injurious species poses serious risks to our nation’s wildlife and habitats,” said Douglas Ault, Assistant Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “We thank the United  States Attorney’s Office and the FBI for their strong partnership in enforcing the laws that protect our nation’s most vulnerable wildlife and ecosystems.”

The investigation was conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.