From the Alaska Department of Public Safety:
April 20, 2010
Elfin Cove Charter Operator Fined for Sportfishing Violations
SITKA — Elfin Cove Eagle Charters Alaska LLC, an Elfin Cove fishing charter corporation, was sentenced today in Sitka in connection with numerous sportfishing violations from a 2009 undercover investigation.
Vancouver, Wash., resident Joe Kulavik, the owner and operator of Elfin Cove Eagle Charters, entered a guilty plea on behalf of the corporation to one consolidated count of sportfish guide violations.
The corporation was fined $150,000 with $90,000 suspended, informal probation for a period of three years, with the conditions that the corporation commit no new fish and game violations and obey all court orders. Four boats used to commit violations had been seized during the investigation. As part of the plea agreement, the state agreed to return the four vessels that were seized.
In August and September of 2009, Alaska Wildlife Troopers conducted an investigation into the charter company where troopers witnessed violations committed by four separate charter captains employed by the corporation.
The violations included sportfishing guides fishing for and retaining halibut, the overlimit taking of salmon and halibut, fishing an excess number of rods, waste of sport-caught fish, use of sport-caught fish for bait, failure to retain nonpelagic rockfish and failure to accurately record the daily catch in the guide's saltwater logbook.
All of the above offenses are class A misdemeanor offenses that carry a maximum fine of $200,000 per count with respect to corporate liability.
The AWT Wildlife Investigations Unit received assistance from the Department of Law, Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Law Enforcement in Juneau; game wardens with the Washington Division of Fish and Wildlife; game wardens with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks; and the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office, Bureau of Investigation.
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Four skippers had multiple violations over mulitple days - they are getting off too easily - they should lose charter license. They make the rest of the industry look dirty.
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree, they would not work for again. The owner(s) of the LLC got off way to easy!
ReplyDeleteThere's many fish to be caught in alaska why do you have to cheat! Ive fished AK several times and I've never not limited following the rules!! Get it together guys!
ReplyDeleteObserver coverage for the charter industry.
ReplyDeleteThese guys continue to cheat at fishing they daily con the state by stating they live in alaska.Not only do they register to vote here but get their family and friends to as well. then they take over the community corp,fuel dock,power plant etc.Tried to take the state dock mail service and now they want the local fisherman ass.If that wasn't enough they still us our glacier bay settlement money and state revenue sharing not to mention numerous state and federal grant fund for their own purposes.They have no reguard for the locol year round people,the enviroment,the future of the fisheries or basic respect for our native values.If a commercial boat had these kind of violation they would lose their permit and maybe the boat and gear as well!
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