Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Halibut longliner chased from Steller zone

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

June 30 2009

Coast Guard intercepts Kodiak vessel fishing illegally


KODIAK, Alaska — A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules crew sighted a Kodiak-based vessel illegally fishing Monday morning in the Clubbing Rocks no transit zone approximately 24 miles south of King Cove.

The aircraft crew established communications with the Shonna Jacole crew and it was longline fishing for halibut approximately one mile from the Clubbing Rocks Steller sea lion rookery. This area has a three-mile no transit zone around it.

The Hercules crew directed the Shonna Jacole crew to stop fishing, recover their gear and depart the no transit zone. At 1:17 p.m. the vessel complied with the directions and departed the area.

This information has been forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service agents in Kodiak, who will determine if a formal notice of violation will be issued.

Unalaska mayor, family robbed on Chicago train

From Monday's edition of The Times of Munster, Ind.:

Alaska mayor's family falls victim to theft on South Shore train

By Lauri Harvey Keagle

A mayor frequently seen on the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch" fell victim to theft on a South Shore train Sunday night while traveling with her family.

According to Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District Transit Police Chief Bob Byrd, Mayor Shirley Marquardt of Unalaska, Alaska, her husband and two children were riding the South Shore train from South Bend to Chicago in a car occupied only by two other women.

Byrd said Marquardt saw one of the women pass her and go into the bathroom twice. The mayor later looked into her purse which was sitting at her feet and noticed her wallet and that of her son — containing a total of $1,300 in cash — were missing.

Marquardt told a conductor who had transit police officers meet the train at the Hegewisch station in Chicago at 6:30 p.m. The two women denied any knowledge of the incident, Byrd said, but a pat down search revealed one of the women had a loaded handgun in one pocket and 10 rounds of ammunition in another pocket.

The other woman, Byrd said, had four $100 bills hidden in her hair. A search of the train found additional cash stuffed into a Doritos bag in the trash can of the bathroom, Byrd said.

Ashlee Williams, 20, of 6954 S. Clyde Ave. in Chicago is facing charges of being a felon in possession of a handgun, Byrd said. Williams was convicted in 2006 of robbery.

Earlines Crowder, 19, of 1509 Englewood Ave. in Joliet was charged with theft.

Byrd said Marquardt is the mayor of the town where the popular Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch" — which centers on the treacherous, high-seas crabbing industry — is filmed. Marquardt is frequently seen on the series highlighting the ships working out of Dutch Harbor in the town of 4,300 residents.

No crew license cited on Yukon

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yukon River District 2
Type: Fail to obtain crewmember license
On 6/29/09, at 1220 hours, Aniak Wildlife Troopers contacted John Teganlakla, age 52, of Marshall, during the District 2 Yukon River commercial salmon fishery. Investigation revealed Teganlakla was assisting in commercial fishing without a valid crewmember license. Teganlakla was cited with bail set at $260.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Unlicensed salmon tendering charged

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: No CFEC vessel license; no commercial crewmember license
On 6/29/09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Juneau issued Jerry L. Owens, age 51, of Juneau, citations for operating his vessel in the commercial transport of raw/unprocessed salmon without having his vessel licensed by CFEC and for not obtaining a valid 2009 commercial crewmember license. Owens was contacted in Juneau during a dockside vessel boarding with commercially taken salmon that he was transporting from Canada. Both citations are bailable with a total fine of $470.00. Owens was given an optional court appearance date of July 8, 2009 at 0900 hours in the Juneau District Court.

Saturday, June 27, 2009

Egegik infractions charged

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Egegik
Type: C/F closed water
On 6/21/09 Jobe Abraham Sr., 74 yoa, of Chefornak, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers for commercial fishing in closed water west of the Egegik commercial salmon district. Arraignment is scheduled in Naknek District Court on 7/8/09.

Location: Egegik
Type: C/F closed water
On 6/23/09 Thomas P. Reynolds, 27 yoa, of Palmetto, Fla., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers for commercial fishing in closed water north of the Egegik commercial salmon district. Arraignment is scheduled in Naknek District Court on 7/8/09.

Location: Egegik
Type: Fail to permanently affix number plate
On 6/25/09 David Myers, 50 yoa, of Maui, Hawaii, was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers for failure to permanently affix vessel number plate to the port side of the vessel. Bail was set at $110.00.

Lack of personal floatation device cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Goodnews Bay
Type: No PFD
On 6/25/09 Bethel Wildlife Troopers on a routine commercial fisheries patrol in Kuskokwim Bay, near Goodnews Bay, cited Daniel Smith, age 22, of Goodnews Bay, for no PFD. Bail: $150.00.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Troopers stay busy in Prince William Sound

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Prince William Sound, Esther Passage
Type: Illegal commercial fishing activity — anchored gear
On 6-20-09, at 1610 hours, Iosif Reutov, 35 yoa, of Oregon, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post, for operating his drift gillnet outside of its basic design. Reutov was operating a drift gillnet that was fixed to the beach on one end, in Esther Passage. Arraignment scheduled in the Cordova Court on 7-29-09.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fishing closed waters
On 06-20-09, at approximately 0435 hours, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post, contacted Randy Merritt, age 44, of Cordova, aboard the F/V R&R in the Eshamy Fishing District. Investigation revealed that Merritt was operating a drift gillnet in waters closed to commercial fishing. A summons was issued to appear in the Cordova Court for arraignment on 07-29-09.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fishing closed waters
On 06-20-09, at approximately 0545 hours, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post, contacted Ryan Webber, age 26, of Cordova, aboard the F/V Bri Channell in the Eshamy Fishing District. Investigation revealed that Webber was operating a drift gillnet in waters closed to commercial fishing. A summons was issued to appear in the Cordova Court for arraignment on 07-29-09.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fishing closed waters
On 06-20-09, at approximately 0630 hours, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post contacted Ivan Seledkov, age 29, of Salem, Ore., aboard F/V Beeroza in the Eshamy Fishing District. Investigation revealed that Seledkov was operating a drift gillnet in waters closed to commercial fishing. A summons was issued to appear in the Cordova Court for arraignment on 07-29-09.

Charter operator accused of logbook violation

Location: Harris Bay
Type: Fail to complete logbook
On 6/20/09 Matthew J. Rutz, 25 yoa, of Central Point, Ore., operator of the charter vessel Grande Alaska, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for failing to complete his saltwater charter logbook as required by regulation. Bail was set at $210.00.

Bristol Bay fisherman jailed on marijuana charge

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Naknek
Type: Misconduct involving a controlled substance
On 6-22-09 investigators from the Dillingham WAANT Unit, with the assistance of the Alaska State Troopers King Salmon Post and the Bristol Bay Borough Police Department, served a search warrant on the F/V Roser, a 32-foot fishing vessel docked at Naknek. Investigators seized 9.28 ounces of marijuana from the vessel. The vessel's owner, David Zielinski, was arrested and charged with misconduct involving a controlled substance in the fourth degree. He was lodged at the King Salmon Jail.

Fishing for charity

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Prince of Wales
Type: Retain undersized commercial-caught king salmon
On 6-08-09 Ketchikan Wildlife Troopers cited William Farmer, 51, of Craig, for retaining eight undersized commercially caught king salmon. On 6-24-09 Farmer pleaded no contest in the Craig District Court for a strict liability offense and was fined $3,000 with $2,000 suspended. The salmon were forfeited to the state and will be donated to charity.

Charter operator convicted of logbook violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Seward
Type: Sportfish guide violations x 20
On 6/22/09 Jeffrey P. Barney, 38 yoa, of Anchorage, owner/operator of Silverado Deep Sea Charters, was convicted of 20 counts of failing to comply with sportfish guide logbook requirements of Alaska Statute 16.40.280(b). He was fined $500 per count with a cumulative fine of $10,000 with $3,500 suspended and one year probation. He is required to commit no fish and game violations and pay all fines on time throughout his probation. Additionally, he was required to pay restitution in the amount of $1,030 to a party of four nonresident clients ... after failing to provide a sportfishing charter as contracted.

Bristol Bay fisherman cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Egegik
Type: Commercial fish closed water
On 6/20/09 Stephen Whiting, 56 yoa, of Mukilteo, Wash., was cited by Bristol Bay Wildlife Troopers for commercial fishing in closed water in the Egegik District. Arraignment is scheduled in Naknek District Court on 7/8/09.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Errant EPIRB

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Haines
Type: EPIRB signal
On 6-22-09, at 0327, Ketchikan AST dispatch received a report of an EPIRB signal activated in the Lutak Inlet area near Haines. The EPRIB was registered to the F/V Morning Light. Haines PD responded to the area and could observe a vessel in the general vicinity, but were unable to raise them on the VHF. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter responded from Air Station Sitka and eventually located a lone EPRIB washed up on the beach. The USCG believes that the EPIRB was either thrown overboard or fell overboard. All vessels associated with the EPIRB have been accounted for.

Four cited with fishing violations out of Cordova

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 6-20-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Bruce Greenwood, age 49, of Powell Butte, Ore., for commercial fishing in closed waters near the Eshamy district in Prince William Sound. Arraignment is scheduled for 7-29-09 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 6-20-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Michael Wallace, age 41, of Lynden, Wash., for commercial fishing in closed waters near the Eshamy district in PWS. Arraignment is scheduled for 7-29-09 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 6-20-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited James Merritt, age 48, of Cordova, for commercial fishing in closed waters near the Eshamy district in PWS. Arraignment is scheduled for 7-29-09 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Cordova
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 6-20-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Jerry Greenwood, age 22, of Kalispell, Mont., for commercial fishing in closed waters near the Eshamy district in PWS. Arraignment is scheduled for 7-29-09 in Cordova District Court.

Anchor theft reported

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Chignik Lagoon
Type: Theft from a Watercraft
On 6-22-09 at 1131 hours, Noah Shangin, age 24 of Anchorage, reported that the anchor and chain had been stolen off the F/V Crystal Sea. Shangin stated that it had been stolen sometime between last season and now while the boat was in Chignik Lagoon. Investigation continues into the theft.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Happy ending, except for the bear

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Beach between Ekuk and Clarks Point
Type: Human remains — unfounded
On 6/19/09 Dillingham-based Alaska State Troopers received a report that a human body washed up on the beach between Clarks Point and Ekuk. Troopers responded via state aircraft and located the intact body. The remains were of a bear, not of a human.

Two drifters cited in Prince William Sound

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Whittier
Type: Commercial fish in closed water
On 6/17/09 Craig Nelson, 40 yoa, of Westport, Wash., was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for commercial fishing in closed waters. Copeland was cited after his drift gillnet and boat went over the line in the Eshamy District fishery. Arrangement is set for Cordova District Court on 7/29/09.

Location: Whittier
Type: Commercial Fish in Closed Water
On 6/17/09 Steven Copeland, 61 yoa, of Satellite Beach, Fla., was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for commercial fishing in closed waters. Copeland was cited after his drift gillnet and boat went over the line in the Eshamy District fishery. Arrangement is set for Cordova District Court on 7/29/09.

Some Kuskokwim cases

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kuskokwim District W-4, Quinhagak
Type: Vessel identification, unmarked gear, no PFDs
On 6/15/09 Bethel Wildlife Troopers on routine commercial fisheries patrol in Kuskokwim District W-4 near Quinhagak cited Henry Mark, age 48, of Palmer, for failure to display vessel identification numbers. Bail: $200.00. James Williams, age 32, of Quinhagak, was cited for failure to mark gear. Bail: $200.00. Fannie Joshua, age 58, of Anchorage, was cited for no PFD. Bail: $100.00. Norman Jimmie, age 29, of Tuntutuliak, was cited for no PFD. Bail: $100.00.

Location: Quinhagak
Type: Fail to obtain crewmember license
On 6/15/09 Aniak Wildlife Troopers contacted Rachael Igkurak, age 53, of Kwigillingok, during the District 4 Kuskokwim Bay commercial salmon fishery. Investigation revealed Igkurak was assisting in commercial fishing without a valid crewmember license. Igkurak was cited with bail set at $260.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Burglar tees off on Coast Guard golf shop

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kodiak
Type: Burglary
On 06-18-2009 at approximately 0131 hrs U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Military Police responded to an alarm at the Pro Shop for the USCG Integrated Support Command (ISC) Golf Course on Anton Larsen Road. Investigation determined a minimum amount of stock was taken. Several windows and display cases were broken. Anyone with information concerning this burglary should contact Alaska State Troopers at (907) 486-4121.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Dutch Harbor debauchery

From the Unalaska Advertiser:

Suspicious person/activity, June 8 — UniSea Security reported an odor of marijuana coming from some room at the UniSea Inn. The source could not be determined.

Drunk disturbance, June 10 — Officers assisted UniSea Security and EMS volunteers with a rather intoxicated woman who was flailing about in puddles of her own vomit.

Civil, June 12 — A fisherman who allowed a crewwoman to become a co-signer on his bank account learned she had used about $3,000 for personal purchases unrelated to the business. The fisherman was advised to pursue the matter through civil court, as the woman had legally been given access to his funds.

Noise disturbance, June 14 — Officer accompanied a UniSea Security officer to a room wherein a man was making much noise, and advised the man he would be arrested if such noise persisted.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Bristol Bay warning

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

There have been reports of fishing nets being extended across the width of the Ekuk Range line in the vicinity of Ship Channel in Nushagak Bay.

Mariners are reminded that Rule 9 of the Navigation Rules applies, which states:

Rule 9

Narrow Channels

(c) A vessel engaged in fishing shall not impede the passage of any other vessel navigating within a narrow channel or fairway.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Unlawful setnet charged in Prince William Sound

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Port Chalmers-Montague Island
Type: Illegal commercial fishing activity
On 6-14-09 Michael Durtschi, 54 yoa, of Girdwood, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Valdez Post. Durtschi was issued a citation for operating a commercial salmon drift gillnet that was anchored to the beach in Port Chalmers. Arraignment is scheduled on 6/24/09, District Court of Cordova.

Grab bag

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kodiak
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 6/12/09 Howard Peterson, 52 yoa, of Kodiak, was cited by Alaska Wildlife Troopers for commercial fishing for salmon with seine gear during a closed period.

Location: Sawmill Bay
Type: False statement commercial crew license
On 6/13/09 Ryan R. Gaber, 24 yoa, of Tennessee, was charged by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for making a false statement of a material fact on a resident commercial crew license in 2009 and 2006 when ineligible. Arraignment was set in the Seward District Court

Location: North Twin Bay
Type: Fail to register vessel
On 6/13/09 Robert W. Johnson, 56 yoa, of Palmer, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for failing to register a powered vessel operated in the waters of Alaska. Bail was set at $60.

Location: Whittier
Type: False statement commercial license
On 6/12/09 Christopher Martin, 37 yoa, of Cordova, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post for making a false statement on his 2009 resident commercial fishing crew license. Arraignment is on 6/24/09 in the District Court of Cordova.

Location: Whittier
Type: No 12-inch ADF&G numbers
On 6/12/09 Aaron Brockhoff, 35 yoa, of McCleary, Wash., was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for commercial fishing without 12-inch ADF&G numbers displayed. Bail is set at $210 at Anchorage District Court.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Cordova crackdown

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Gillnet operation
On 6-8-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Mark D. Adams, age 46, of Blaine, Wash., for operating a drift gillnet in a manner not conforming with its basic design. Arraignment is scheduled for 6-24-09 in Cordova District Court.

Location: Cordova
Type: No vessel license
On 6-9-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Fred Matveev, age 45, of Anchorage, for commercial fishing without a valid 2009 vessel license in possession. Bail was set at $210.

Location: Cordova
Type: No vessel license
On 6-9-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Benjamin Lustig, age 36, of Girdwood, for commercial fishing without a valid 2009 vessel license in possession. Bail was set at $210.

Location: Cordova
Type: No vessel license
On 6-10-09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Steven Gildnes, age 36, of Mt. Vernon, Wash., for commercial fishing without a valid 2009 vessel license in possession. Bail was set at $210.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Two Harbor Crown calls

From the Unalaska Advertiser:

Found property, June 4 — Wallet, near Harbor Crown Seafoods.

Burglary, June 7 — Caller reported someone had just broken into an apartment at Harbor Crown Seafoods. The apartment resident told officers he was awakened in the night by loud banging at his door, and got up to find an intoxicated man wobbling in the middle of his living room. The inebriate initially refused to leave, but eventually fled the building and, as officers later learned, stole a pickup truck with which to depart the area.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Undersized kings cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Prince of Wales
Type: Retain undersized commercially caught king salmon
On 6-08-09 Ketchikan Wildlife Troopers cited William Farmer, 51, of Craig, for retaining eight undersized commercially caught king salmon. Arraignment is set in the Ketchikan District Court.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Bumper boat

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

June 7, 2009

Coast Guard assists with boating while intoxicated arrest

JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard Station Ketchikan assisted the Ketchikan Police Department in arresting a man boating while intoxicated approximately 3:10 a.m. today in Tongass Narrows near Ketchikan.

The Coast Guard relayed a call to Ketchikan Police Department reporting the fishing vessel Lone Fisherman, a 58-foot troller homeported in Petersburg, Alaska, was maneuvering recklessly and bumping into other vessels. No damage or injuries were reported.

Coast Guard Station Ketchikan launched a 25-foot response boat and a 47-foot motor life boat with members of Ketchikan Police Department on board at 3:05 a.m.

The master of the vessel was arrested by Ketchikan police and charged with boating while intoxicated. Two other people on board were not charged and released.

The Lone Fisherman is docked in Ketchikan. An investigation is being conducted by the Coast Guard.

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Sablefish quota violations charged in Seward

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Seward
Type: Exceed share quota — PWS black cod
On 6/4/09, Daniel Reutov, 28 yoa, of Wasilla, AK, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for exceeding his PWS sablefish share quota. Arraignment was set in the Seward District Court on 6/30/09.

Location: Seward
Type: Exceed share quota — PWS black cod
On 6/4/09, Lavrentii P. Reutov, 38 yoa, of Homer, AK, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for exceeding his PWS sablefish share quota. Arraignment was set in the Seward District Court on 6/30/09.

Location: Seward
Type: Exceed share quota — PWS black cod
On 6/4/09, Irmil P. Reutov, 31 yoa, of Homer, AK, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for exceeding his PWS sablefish share quota. Arraignment was set in the Seward District Court on 6/30/09.

Friday, June 5, 2009

Bristol Bay burglary reported

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Egegik
Type: Burglary and theft
On 6/3/09 at 2205 hours, AST Dillingham received a report of a burglary in Egegik. Kristina Fisher, age 34, of Eagle River, reported that her cabin and her father's cabin, at their family setnet fishing camp on the Egegik River, had been broken into sometime between July 2008 and June 2009. Several thousand dollars in fishing equipment, tools and food were stolen from inside the cabins. The incident is under investigation by AST.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Your papers, please

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Resurrection Bay
Type: Guide violation
On 5/29/09, Andrew J. Agloinga, 34 yoa, of Seward AK, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Seward Post, for failing to have the required documents while sportfish guiding. Bail was set at $210.

Steller trouble

Still more from the NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement:

AKD (Alaska Enforcement Division) cited the captain of a longline vessel for Pacific cod directed fishing inside the Steller sea lion protection area at Marmot Island. The USCG (U.S. Coast Guard) assisted in the case. A partial catch of 5,319 pounds of Pacific cod worth $2,217.67 was seized. In addition, a $1,000 suspended penalty was imposed. (The vessel was not named. — The Brig)

During the period (January to June of this year), 16 investigations were opened on vessels unlawfully transiting through no-transit areas adjacent to Steller sea lion rookeries. Despite increased outreach efforts, this number represents an increasing trend over the same period from the previous two years. As in the past, specific rookeries account for a large number of these violations. These include Sugarloaf Island, Marmot Island, and the rookeries in the vicinity of Unimak Pass. Vessel owners and operators are encouraged to ensure they are aware of the locations of these no-transit areas. A table defining these areas may be obtained at the Alaska region Web site.

Halibut, crab, forage fish infractions alleged

More from the NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement:

The operator of the trawl vessel MARCY J was assessed an $8,000 penalty for several consecutive trawl landings during which high numbers of Pacific halibut (a prohibited species in groundfish fisheries) were not sorted from the catch and discarded at sea.

AKD (Alaska Enforcement Division) is investigating a crab boat for landing Bering Sea snow crab on a north region IFQ permit at a south region processor. Ice conditions are reported to have been a factor in this delivery. (The vessel was not named. — The Brig)

During the 2008 GOA pollock "A" season, a high percentage of the fleet experienced large "overages" of "forage species," specifically eulachon. After researching the issues involved, NOAA OLE issued written warnings for these overages. Following the fishery, OLE conducted an extensive outreach effort with the trawl fleet and industry groups, advising warnings would not be given if these overages continued during 2009, and requesting appropriate industry response. During the 2009 "A" season, vessel operators reported they had developed gear modifications and other responses, and the numbers of forage species overages were significantly reduced. A shoreside processor is being investigated for purchasing overages of forage species, and processing the fish into products other than fish meal.

$260,000 in sablefish sanctions

From the NOAA Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement, in a report to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council for the period January to June:

Tri Fish LLC, Barry McKee and Michael Lang, owners of the Alaskan fishing vessel TRIDENT, have agreed to pay $10,000 for the false reporting of areas fished by the master of their vessel. Lang also had all of his Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands sablefish IFQ suspended for the 2010 fishing season, and McKee had all of his Aleutian Islands sablefish IFQ suspended for 2010. Both McKee and Lang had their hired skipper privileges revoked for one year. Under a separate settlement agreement, the vessel operator, Kenneth Spjut,is barred from serving as the captain of a fishing vessel on the West Coast of the United States for five years.

In a separate enforcement action, an IFQ permit holder was cited for falsely reporting where the vessel fished, paid an $8,265 penalty, and had 2,000 pounds of his Western Gulf sablefish suspended for one year.

The total value of penalties and sanctioned IFQ/quota shares in the two cases is approximately $260,000.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Bonfire bust

From the Unalaska Advertiser:

Theft, May 25 — Caller reported Terrence Merculieff had just stolen several new, shrink-wrapped pallets from Alyeska Seafoods. An officer located Merculieff, as well as several others, at Summer Bay, where Merculieff had just begun to burn his ill-gotten proceeds. Merculieff, 21 yoa, of Unalaska, was arrested for Theft IV and Criminal Mischief III. One of his friends told police that she’d told Merculieff he shouldn’t steal the pallets wrapped in plastic.