Case library · Busted!
Someone Else's Quota
United States v. Jacobson (2025)
Charge: Halibut IFQ fraud conspiracyCourt: U.S. District Court, D. AlaskaState: AlaskaDocket: Busted!
Does catching fish against another person's quota while that holder is absent make the landing unlawful?
The facts
Halibut quota is held as a personal share, and the rule is that the holder must be aboard while the fish are being caught. Across three seasons the Defendant took halibut on his own boat while the share holder was somewhere else. The catch was passed across to the holder's vessel, landed there and reported against the holder's share. The Defendant was paid for the fish he had caught.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: United States v. Jacobson (D. Alaska 2025)
Read more at justice.gov. The source reveals the outcome.