From the Alaska State Troopers:
Location: Kodiak
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 6/17/17 Kodi A. Metzger, 37, of Custer, Wash., was issued a summons to court for having gillnet deployed in the waters of Alitak Bay during a closed period and for failing to have a photo ID in possession.
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Crabber nets $5,000 fine after Juneau trial
From the Alaska State Troopers:
Location: Juneau
Type: Conviction
On 6/12/17 Daniel Foley, 70, of Gustavus, was found guilty during a bench trial of retaining undersized Tanner crab. Foley is the permit holder and owner of the F/V Steller. He was fined $9,000 with $4,000 suspended and placed on probation for a year.
Location: Juneau
Type: Conviction
On 6/12/17 Daniel Foley, 70, of Gustavus, was found guilty during a bench trial of retaining undersized Tanner crab. Foley is the permit holder and owner of the F/V Steller. He was fined $9,000 with $4,000 suspended and placed on probation for a year.
Driftnetter cited twice at Valdez
From the Alaska State Troopers:
Location: Valdez
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 6/12/17 Simeao Kusnetsov, 34, of Wasilla, was issued a citation for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Esther subdistrict, northwestern Prince William Sound. Kusnetsov was operating his drift gillnet 10 minutes after the close of the period. Kusnetsov was issued a second citation for no PFD on a child under 13 years old.
Location: Valdez
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 6/12/17 Simeao Kusnetsov, 34, of Wasilla, was issued a citation for commercial fishing during a closed period in the Esther subdistrict, northwestern Prince William Sound. Kusnetsov was operating his drift gillnet 10 minutes after the close of the period. Kusnetsov was issued a second citation for no PFD on a child under 13 years old.
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Four Cordova fishermen cited over homepack
From the Alaska State Troopers:
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Peter Brockert, 58, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. Breckert was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Michael Glasen, 69, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. Glasen was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Gerald McCune, 68, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. McCune was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited John Thomas, 75, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. Thomas was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Peter Brockert, 58, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. Breckert was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Michael Glasen, 69, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. Glasen was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Gerald McCune, 68, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. McCune was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Location: Cordova
Type: Fail to record homepack
On 5/18/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited John Thomas, 75, of Cordova, for failing to record on a state fish ticket his retention of commercially caught salmon for personal use. Thomas was issued a misdemeanor citation to appear in court and was released from the scene.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Sitka troller charged with two violations
From the Alaska State Troopers:
Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed season, waste of salmon
On 3/24/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers observed the F/V Mirage commercial salmon trolling approximately 1.4 miles beyond the winter troll line near Sitka Sound. During the investigation, permit holder Jeffrey Turner, 50, of Sitka, was observed discarding a dead king salmon into the sea. One king salmon was seized and Turner was issued summonses to appear in Sitka District Court for fishing in a closed season and waste of salmon.
Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed season, waste of salmon
On 3/24/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers observed the F/V Mirage commercial salmon trolling approximately 1.4 miles beyond the winter troll line near Sitka Sound. During the investigation, permit holder Jeffrey Turner, 50, of Sitka, was observed discarding a dead king salmon into the sea. One king salmon was seized and Turner was issued summonses to appear in Sitka District Court for fishing in a closed season and waste of salmon.
Saturday, March 25, 2017
Man draws jail time in Bristol Bay assault
From the Alaska State Troopers:
Location: Naknek
Type: Sentencing
On 3/15/17 Don R. Iodice, 54, of Everett, Wash., was sentenced in Naknek District Court to 30 days in jail in connection with an assault on his coworker and captain of a tender vessel. Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers received the initial complaint on 7/3/16 while the vessel was in the Egegik commercial fishing district. The court also placed Iodice on probation for two years and ordered him not to return to the fishing grounds in Bristol Bay.
Location: Naknek
Type: Sentencing
On 3/15/17 Don R. Iodice, 54, of Everett, Wash., was sentenced in Naknek District Court to 30 days in jail in connection with an assault on his coworker and captain of a tender vessel. Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers received the initial complaint on 7/3/16 while the vessel was in the Egegik commercial fishing district. The court also placed Iodice on probation for two years and ordered him not to return to the fishing grounds in Bristol Bay.
Sunday, January 29, 2017
Sea cucumber harvester nets $10,000 fine
The Alaska State Troopers posted this item on Friday:
Location: Prince of Wales Island
Type: Conviction
On 11/29/16 Alaska Wildlife Troopers closed out a yearlong commercial fishing case against Ronald C. Blake, 47, of Cordova, after he was convicted in the Prince of Wales court of two misdemeanor charges of failing to register for a commercial fishery and providing false information on Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets. He was fined a combined total of $20,000 with $10,000 suspended. Blake, who operates the F/V Ace as a fishing vessel and a commercial tender, falsified records from the commercial sea cucumber fishery. During the sea cucumber fishery, commercial divers are allowed to harvest 2,000 pounds of product, per fisherman, during each fishing period, which typically lasts a day and a half. Most divers get the bulk of their allotment on the first day and then, after weighing the product, harvest the remaining amount during the last half day. Any amount of product that exceeds 2,000 pounds per fisherman is considered an overage and is forfeited to the state. If an overage is excessive, it may result in a criminal charge against the diver, but for minor overages there is no consequence to the fisherman. This is where the problems started for Blake. Instead of reporting the overages to Fish and Game as required, troopers were able to show that Blake was creating a "slush" fund with the excess sea cucumbers. If a fisherman who delivered product to him came up a little short, he would slide the needed amount over to that fisherman to make sure he delivered exactly 2,000 pounds. The more "legal" product that Blake purchased as a commercial tender, the more he was able to deliver to his processor and thus make more money. The F/V Ace supported three commercially permitted divers during the fishery in 2015: Blake, Makena O'Toole and Timothy Smith. When Blake or O'Toole needed a break, Smith would take their place in the water. What Alaska Wildlife Troopers noticed was that Smith always made his 2,000-pound quota but spent very little time in the actual water. The two experienced divers would easily harvest their 2,000-pound quota and then some. The additional harvest would then be placed onto Smith's quota and sold, thus ensuring that the divers off the F/V Ace always harvested and sold the maximum amount of product possible. That is called "party fishing." Because the commercial sea cucumber fishery is a competitive fishery, this type of activity is illegal. In the last two years, Alaska Wildlife Troopers have conducted seven "routine" vessel inspections on the F/V Ace, as he was the holder of seven Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permits in 2016 and is involved in some of the most lucrative fisheries in the state to include halibut, black cod, herring and salmon. The F/V Ace, a 49-foot seiner, operates between Prince William Sound and southern Southeast most of the year either fishing or operating as a commercial tender.
Location: Prince of Wales Island
Type: Conviction
On 11/29/16 Alaska Wildlife Troopers closed out a yearlong commercial fishing case against Ronald C. Blake, 47, of Cordova, after he was convicted in the Prince of Wales court of two misdemeanor charges of failing to register for a commercial fishery and providing false information on Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets. He was fined a combined total of $20,000 with $10,000 suspended. Blake, who operates the F/V Ace as a fishing vessel and a commercial tender, falsified records from the commercial sea cucumber fishery. During the sea cucumber fishery, commercial divers are allowed to harvest 2,000 pounds of product, per fisherman, during each fishing period, which typically lasts a day and a half. Most divers get the bulk of their allotment on the first day and then, after weighing the product, harvest the remaining amount during the last half day. Any amount of product that exceeds 2,000 pounds per fisherman is considered an overage and is forfeited to the state. If an overage is excessive, it may result in a criminal charge against the diver, but for minor overages there is no consequence to the fisherman. This is where the problems started for Blake. Instead of reporting the overages to Fish and Game as required, troopers were able to show that Blake was creating a "slush" fund with the excess sea cucumbers. If a fisherman who delivered product to him came up a little short, he would slide the needed amount over to that fisherman to make sure he delivered exactly 2,000 pounds. The more "legal" product that Blake purchased as a commercial tender, the more he was able to deliver to his processor and thus make more money. The F/V Ace supported three commercially permitted divers during the fishery in 2015: Blake, Makena O'Toole and Timothy Smith. When Blake or O'Toole needed a break, Smith would take their place in the water. What Alaska Wildlife Troopers noticed was that Smith always made his 2,000-pound quota but spent very little time in the actual water. The two experienced divers would easily harvest their 2,000-pound quota and then some. The additional harvest would then be placed onto Smith's quota and sold, thus ensuring that the divers off the F/V Ace always harvested and sold the maximum amount of product possible. That is called "party fishing." Because the commercial sea cucumber fishery is a competitive fishery, this type of activity is illegal. In the last two years, Alaska Wildlife Troopers have conducted seven "routine" vessel inspections on the F/V Ace, as he was the holder of seven Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permits in 2016 and is involved in some of the most lucrative fisheries in the state to include halibut, black cod, herring and salmon. The F/V Ace, a 49-foot seiner, operates between Prince William Sound and southern Southeast most of the year either fishing or operating as a commercial tender.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
