LIMESTONE, Maine—A Maine man is facing charges he released a 7-pound tropical fish into a Limestone brook.
A state biologist and two game wardens captured the pacu from the unnamed brook on July 14.
The 14-inch fish is native to South America.
Thirty-four-year-old Joe LaPierre has been charged with illegal fish stocking and possessing a restricted species of fish without a permit. He could be fined up to $10,000 on each count.
Officials with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife don't believe the fish would have survived the winter. The concern is the fish could carry parasites and diseases that would infect native fish populations.
Officials say LaPierre brought the fish to Maine from Florida.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
