Friday, April 30, 2010

Charter guide pleads guilty after Big But sting

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ninilchik
Type: Sportfish guide violations
On 4/27/10 Jeffrey A. Glosser, 43, of Anchorage, pleaded guilty in Kenai District Court to one count of sportfish guide aiding a client in a violation and one count of sportfish guide reporting requirements. In July of 2009, Alaska Wildlife Troopers investigators conducted an investigation into Fishing Fool Charters guide Glosser. Glosser took Alaska Wildlife Troopers acting in an undercover capacity on a halibut charter that originated at Anchor Point aboard the charter vessel Big But. During the charter, Glosser allowed three clients to retain an overlimit of halibut in excess of the two halibut per person daily bag limit. Glosser allowed his clients to pool their catch of halibut until it equaled the maximum allowed under regulation for the number of clients aboard the vessel, a practice commonly referred to as party fishing. At the end of the charter, Glosser failed to record the number of halibut caught by each client before offloading the halibut. Alaska Department of Fish and Game saltwater charter logbook records submitted by Glosser falsely reported that each of the six clients aboard the vessel Big But retained two halibut each. Glosser was fined $10,000 and had his sportfishing license and sportfish guide license revoked for three years. All three years of license revocation and $5,000 of the fine are suspended pending no further violations during the revocation period.

Tasker charged with failure to file fish tickets

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Failure to submit fish tickets
On 4/27/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Thorne Howard Tasker, 56, of Anchorage, for failing to submit Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets within the required seven days of landing fish. Arraignment was scheduled for 4/28/10 in the Unalaska District Court.

Alaska Spirit crewman arrested at Dutch Harbor

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Arrest warrant
On 4/28/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers conducted a vessel boarding on the F/T Alaska Spirit at Unalaska Harbor. Contacted onboard the vessel was crewmember William S. Brown, 48, of Everett, Wash. Brown was discovered to have an outstanding warrant for his arrest for failure to appear at arraignment for the original charge of no valid operator's license. Brown was arrested and remanded to the Unalaska City Jail on $100 cash bail.

Cordova troopers say shrimper failed to register

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Failure to register
On 4/28/10 Bruce Stamper Jr., 38, of Cordova, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post, for commercial fishing but failing to register for the Prince William Sound Area E shrimp pot fishery. Arraignment is scheduled for 5/26/10 in the Cordova District Court.

Cordova troopers cite shrimper on gear violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Shrimp pot violation
On 4/24/10 Dennis Petre, 57, of Valdez, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Cordova Post. Petre, the skipper and permit holder of the F/V Otter Dodger, was cited for not having a biodegradable escape mechanism as required on his commercial shrimp pot gear. Arraignment is scheduled for 5/26/10 in the District Court of Cordova.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Boat ordered to port on life raft, EPIRB violations

From the U.S. Coast Guard:

April 28, 2010

Cutter terminates voyage of fishing vessel for safety violations

KODIAK — The Coast Guard cutter Mustang terminated the voyage of the 42-foot commercial fishing vessel Varag due to safety issues following a boarding today 25 miles off of Middleton Island in the Gulf of Alaska.

A Coast Guard boarding team from the cutter found the vessel master operating without a life raft available for the crew and with an improperly mounted emergency position indicating radio beacon. The EPIRB's battery also was expired. The Coast Guard requires commercial fishing vessels to carry these items on board and to have them operational.

The vessel was being escorted by the Mustang's crew to Seward, but is now under tow by the cutter due to a loss of propulsion. They are expected to arrive Thursday in Seward. The crew will be required to correct the safety discrepancies and have their propulsion system looked at by the Coast Guard prior to getting under way again.

The Varag is homeported in Portland, Ore. The 110-foot multimission patrol boat Mustang is based out of Seward.

Fisherman cited in Hobart Bay herring fishery

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Hobart Bay
Type: Commercial vessel plate requirement
On 4/24/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Dominic Papetti, 59, of Washington, while on patrol at the Hobart Bay sac roe herring fishery. Investigation revealed Papetti's vessel did not meet the commercial fishing vessel plate requirements and he was subsequently issued a citation with bail set at $110.

Troopers cite skipper in Hoonah herring fishery

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: No vessel numbers
On 4/23/10 Sitka Wildlife Troopers cited Archie W. Demmert III, 49, of Klawock, for operating a vessel engaged in the Hoonah Sound herring spawn-on-kelp fishery without displaying 12-inch numbers. Bail is set at $210 with an optional court appearance in Sitka District Court.

Troopers find violations aboard C/P Constellation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Multiple violations
On 4/17/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers boarded the C/P Constellation after it was noted that the vessel had no Alaska Department of Fish and Game numbers permanently affixed to either side of the vessel. Contacted as skipper and permit holder of the vessel was Robert Mackinnon, 59, of Camden, Maine. Crew members Paul L. Estes, 21, of St. George, Maine, and Hai V. Trinh, 39, of Tacoma, Wash., also were contacted. Investigation revealed that neither Estes nor Trinh had obtained a valid 2010 commercial fishing license prior to commercial fishing on the C/P Constellation. Estes and Trinh were both cited for crewmember license requirements with bail set at $260 each. Mackinnon was cited for employing an unlicensed crewmember as well as for his vessel not properly displaying its ADF&G number. Bail was set at $260 and $210 in the Unalaska District Court.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Sitka man jailed on warrant for illegal fishing

From the Alasak State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Warrant arrest
On 4/26/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Grant Hilton Thompson, 58, of Sitka, at a residence on Sawmill Creek Road. Thompson had an outstanding $250 warrant for commercial fishing in closed waters. Thompson was remanded to Sitka Police Department jail.

Friday, April 23, 2010

The Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Drunk disturbance, April 13 — Officers assisted Westward security with an obnoxious, chauvinistic drunk.

Assault, April 13 — Officers assisted UniSea security with two allegedly grown men who were unable to peacefully share a room together.

Drug law violation, April 15 — A man phoned a residence which was being searched by police and told the officer who answered the phone that he "had something for him." The officer told the caller to come to house. The unwitting Forrest Hellard, 36, of Unalaska, arrived a short time later and was shocked to find police waiting for him. Hellard was arrested for misconduct involving a controlled substance after officers found two baggies of marijuana stuffed in the front of his pants.

Animal, April 15 — A dog climbed a set of stairs and jumped into a commercial dumpster, but was unable to free itself later when it had completed its business there. An officer rescued the dog, which was later returned to its owner.

Criminal mischief, April 16 — UniSea security reported several loiterers had vandalized an entryway to one of their bunkhouses. An officer contacted one of the men, who denied being the culprit and named his "friend," about whom he knew nothing, as the person who had written the graffiti.

Gaff attack!

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Assault, DUI
On 4/22/10 at 1407 hours, Alaska State Troopers received a report of an assault at the Lighthouse Grocery parking lot. Investigation revealed that Jeremiah Perez, 32, of Ketchikan, had assaulted a male in the parking lot with a fishing gaff. Perez was arrested for felony assault in the third degree and remanded to Ketchikan Correctional Center with no bail. Charges of DUI are also being forwarded to the District Attorney's Office.

Sitka herring seiner fined $1,500 after guilty plea

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed season
On 4/25/20 Bradford Scudder was arraigned in the Sitka District Court and entered a plea of guilty for the charge of commercial fishing in closed waters. The charge was resolved as a strict liability violation. Scudder was fined $1,500 with none suspended and no conditions of probation.

This is an update of a previous news release.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Charter firm fined $60,000, seized boats returned

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.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Troopers make several cases out of Whittier

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Whittier
Type: Unlawful shrimp gear
On 4/18/10 Patrick Hodgson, 50, of Kasilof, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for commercial fishing shrimp gear that did not meet the escape mechanism requirements. Arrangement is set for 4/28/10 in the Cordova District Court.

Location: Whittier
Type: No vessel license, sticker
On 4/16/10 Jason Lee, 29, of Cordova, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for commercial fishing without his 2010 vessel license or 2010 Alaska Department of Fish and Game sticker onboard his boat. Bail was set at $320 in the Cordova District Court.

Location: Whittier
Type: Employ unlicensed crewmember
On 4/15/10 William Romesburg, 39, of Anchorage, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for employing an unlicensed crewmember for commercial fishing. Bail was set at $260 in the Valdez District Court.

Location: Whittier
Type: No crew license
On 4/15/10 Thomas Lindgren, 43, of Anchorage, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Girdwood Post, for commercial fishing without a 2010 crew license. Bail was set at $260 in the Valdez District Court.

Troopers ticket Cordova halibut processor

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Cordova
Type: Processor without current code stamp
On 4/12/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers from the Cordova Post contacted Susan J. Laird, 57, of Cordova, who is an employee of Prime Select Seafoods. Investigation revealed that Laird had accepted approximately 3,700 pounds of IFQ-caught halibut without having a current 2010 commercial state of Alaska code plate or written authorization from the state to operate as a fish processor. Laird was summoned to appear on 4/28/10 in the Cordova District Court for arraignment.

Sitka man hooks trouble processing fish

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Fail to file intent to operate as catcher-processor
On 4/19/10 Sitka Wildlife Troopers cited Jason E. Gjertsen, 40, of Sitka, for failing to file an intent to operate and failing to obtain the proper permission and documents before processing fish in 2009. Arraignment is set for 5/11/10 in Sitka District Court.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Sitka troller accused of fishing in closed waters

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka Sound
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 4/9/10 at approximately 0749 hours, the vessel Nordic Son was documented commercial power trolling in closed waters west of the Sitka Sound winter troll line. The operator and permit holder was identified as Anthoney C. Sine of Sitka. Sine will be cited into Sitka District Court for commercial fishing in closed waters.

Captain ticketed at Dutch for lack of boat numbers

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: No ADF&G numbers on vessel
On 4/16/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers cited the skipper and permit holder onboard the F/V Viking, Bill G. Lock, 59, of Sammamish, Wash., for failing to properly display his Alaska Department of Fish and Game numbers on both sides of his commercial fishing vessel. Bail was set at $210 for the Unalaska District Court.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Yakutat fishermen draws $500 fine, probation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat
Type: Update — commercial fish closed waters
On 4/12/10 Jonathan Pavlik, 28, of Yakutat, pled no contest to commercial fishing in closed waters stemming from a June 23, 2009, fishing violation in Yakutat Bay. Pavlik was fined $2,000 with $1,500 suspended and was placed on probation for one year. As part of the plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed two counts of providing false information on Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish tickets.

Unlawful salmon hauling at Hoonah alleged

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Hoonah
Type: Unlicensed fishing vessel
On 4/12/10 George Mills, 66, of Hoonah, was cited for transporting commercially caught king salmon in an unlicensed vessel.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

The Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Assistance rendered, March 28 — A hotel patron who had left a significant amount of blood as well as broken furniture in his room the previous night was given an eviction and trespass notice per UniSea management.

Public safety, April 1 — Caller reported people snowshoeing on a lake. An officer subsequently observed the unique winter wonder of men walking on water.

Assault, April 2 — Officers arrested Michael R. Estrada, 44, of California, after Estrada threatened a cook with vulgar language and sandwiches.

Ambulance request, April 3 — Fishing vessel reported they were bringing to the dock a patient with internal injuries.

Ambulance request, April 4, 0019 hours — EMS personnel assisted a man who, after repeated attempts, had managed to punch his head through a sheet of half-inch plywood.

Suspicious activity, April 4, 0023 hours — Officers investigated the events that led up to a man punching his head through a sheet of plywood and were told of sundry unsavory activities, some of which events were in fact fabrications. After sifting through the dross, officers determined that Ryan Martus, 24, of Unalaska, had indeed broken the plywood with his own head in spite of having implicated others, after having engaged in a losing battle with one of his coworkers. Martus was arrested for false report, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief.

Welfare check, April 4, 0030 hours — A man who had recently inflicted injury upon his own head was evaluated for signs of mental aberration.

Harassment, April 5 — Two processors each alleged that the other had vaguely threatened him. An officer determined there was little substance to the complaints and determined that the two grown men were simply unable to get along.

Trespass, April 5 — Per UniSea management, officer issued a trespass advisement to a recently terminated employee.

Trespass, April 6 — UniSea management asked an officer to issue a trespass advisement to a man whose relationships with multiple female employees was somewhat suspect.

Disorderly conduct, April 6 — Officer assisted Westward security with a boor whose continued racial epithets had evolved into threats towards coworkers whose looks were dissimilar to his own. The xenophobic oaf was terminated from his employment.

Suspicious activity, April 6 — Police department received information from another law enforcement agency about a local boat owner allegedly writing bad checks.

Environmental, April 10 — Caller reported an oil spill at the Small Boat Harbor. Information relayed to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Southeast guide convicted of shrimping violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Update — conviction
On 4/2/10 Kurt J. Whitehead, 39, of Klawock, pled guilty in Sitka District Court to two counts of sportfish guide assisting a client in a violation. Whitehead was fined $1,500 with $500 suspended on each count. In addition, he was placed on probation for two years and the shrimp pot gear used in the violation was forfeited to the state of Alaska. The charges were the result of an investigation beginning in June 2009 by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers during which it was discovered that Whitehead was providing sportfish guide service to two clients who operated shrimp pots from his vessel and used shrimp pot gear which had no biodegradable escape mechanism and in which he was using prohibited species as bait.

Juneau longliners fined over lack of crew license

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: No crewmember license
On 4/12/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers Juneau issued citations to John E. Krossa, 40, of Douglas, for participating in the 2010 commercial longline fishery without a valid 2010 commercial crewmember license, and Robert J. Becker, 38, of Douglas, for employing an unlicensed crewmember. Krossa and Becker were initially contacted during a dockside inspection at Taku Fisheries in Juneau. Each fine is set at $260. An optional court appearance date has been set for May 5 in the Juneau District Court.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Troopers accuse two cod captains of overharvest

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Overharvest of commercial fish
On 4/8/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued two summonses to Bruce D. Morrice Jr., 53, of Toledo, Ore., after investigation revealed that Morrice, who is the skipper and permit holder onboard the F/V Majesty, twice exceeded daily catch limits of Pacific cod (6,165 pounds and 5,232 pounds) while participating in the 2010 Aleutian Islands state waters P-cod fishery. Arraignment is scheduled for 5/26/10 in the Unalaska District Court.

Location: Unalaska
Type: Overharvest of commercial fish
On 4/8/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued summons to Steven H. Beard, 53, of Toledo, Ore., after investigation revealed that Beard, who is the skipper and permit holder onboard the F/V Golden Pisces, exceeded a daily catch limit of Pacific cod by 7,090 pounds while participating in the 2010 Aleutian Islands state waters P-cod fishery. Arraignment is scheduled for 5/26/10 in the Unalaska District Court.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Homer guide accused of halibut highgrading

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Homer
Type: Sport charter fishing violations
In June 2009, Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a complaint that Brad Fisher, 38, of Anchorage, was believed to have committed multiple sportfishing violations while working as a sportfishing guide for a saltwater charter business in the Homer area. Investigation revealed that on 5/31/09 Fisher retained a number of halibut in excess of the legal daily bag limit for his clients. Fisher retained multiple small halibut in a bucket onboard the vessel. As bigger halibut were caught, small halibut were released from the bucket, some of which were already dead. Summonses to appear in court have been issued for Fisher on charges of illegal possession of fish, waste of fish, overlimit of sport-caught halibut, sportfishing guide aiding in commission of a violation, false entry in saltwater charter logbook, and prohibited retention of fish by a sportfishing guide.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Troopers cite unlicensed halibut crewman

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: No crewmember license
On 4/5/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a citation to Charles Watson Grogan III, 20, of Sitka, for commercial halibut fishing without possessing a 2010 Alaska commercial fishing crewmember license. Arraignment is scheduled for 4/20/10 in the Unalaska District Court.

Troopers ticket King Cove cod fisherman

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unimak Island
Type: No pot tag
On 4/5/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Herman Erik Samuelson, 51, of King Cove, for commercial cod fishing in March in the South Alaska Peninsula state waters fishery with a pot that did not have a buoy identification tag. Arraignment is scheduled for 4/27/10 in the Valdez Superior Court.

Herring seiner accused of fishing after season ends

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed season
On 4/2/10 at approximately 1516 hours, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced that the 2010 Sitka sac roe herring fishery had closed. Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted the F/V Andy Sea, which still had fishing gear in the water after the closure in Eastern Channel near Sitka. The permit card holder and vessel operator, Bradford Scudder, 52, of Boise, Idaho, was cited for commercial fishing in a closed season. Scudder did not have his seine net closed before the closure of the fishery. Scudder will be arraigned in Sitka Court on April 27.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

A second Sitka herring tender ticketed

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Failure to register tender vessel
On 4/2/10 Carl E. Etheridge, 50, of Whittier, was cited as the skipper of the F/V Naknek Spirit, a commercial fishing tender, for failing to register his vessel with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game upon arrival into the Sitka sac roe herring fishing registration area. Etheridge was given an arraignment date of 4/20/10.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Troopers ticket tender skipper at Sitka

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Failure to register tender vessel
On 4/2/10 Charles B. Baker, 79, of Auburn, Wash., was cited as the skipper of the F/V Eigil B, a commercial fishing tender, for failing to register his vessel with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game upon arrival into the Sitka sac roe herring fishing registration area. Baker was given an arraignment date of 4/20/10.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Tardy fish ticket bites Blue Attu, skipper

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Failure to file fish ticket
On 4/1/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Blue North LLC after investigation revealed that Blue North LLC failed to file an Alaska Department of Fish and Game fish ticket within seven days of landing commercially caught fish from its catcher-processor Blue Attu. Also summonsed as co-defendant in the case was the skipper and permit holder aboard the Blue Attu, Barry D. Johnson, 56, of Manson, Wash. Arraignment is scheduled for the Unalaska District Court on 4/28/10.

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter, as reported by the Unalaska Advertiser:

Suspicious persons, March 25 — Multiple callers reported either brave souls or potential Darwin candidates walking on the ice on Unalaska Lake. As the ice walkers were adults, combined with the fact that ice walking is not illegal, the walkers were left to their own devices.

Environmental, March 26 — Plant personnel reported the loss of about 50 gallons of fish oil, which had emptied directly into the sewer system. Water treatment personnel were advised of that there might be natural organic compounds in the wastewater system.

Disorderly conduct, March 26 — Plant security requested assistance advising a recently terminated employee that he is now simply a guest and as such is allowed only in his room or the galley. An officer advised plant personnel that police could not enforce company rules.

Drug law violation, March 26 — The Unalaska Department of Public Safety received information from postal inspectors about a significant quantity of cocaine that had been mailed to Unalaska. Under investigation.

Disorderly conduct, March 28 — Officers observed a scuffle break out between four men in front of the Harborview Bar. None of the participants wished to discuss what exactly had occurred. They were advised that similar conduct could result in arrest. The men separated and returned to their vessels.

Several Norton Sound crabbing violations alleged

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Norton Sound
Type: Illegal crab pots
On 3/31/10, while on commercial crab patrol in Norton Sound via state snowmachines, Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued two citations to Nome resident Frank McFarland for failing to have proper escape rings in several of his commercial crab pots.

Location: Norton Sound
Type: Employ unlicensed crewman
On 3/31/10, while on commercial crab patrol in Norton Sound via state snowmachines, Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a citation to Nome resident Johnnie Noyakuk for employing an unlicensed crewman. A citation was also issued to Nome resident Elliot Olanna for failing to have a crewmember license.

Location: Norton Sound
Type: Illegal crab pots
On 3/31/10, while on commercial crab patrol in Norton Sound via state snowmachines, Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a citation to Nome resident Anthony Shelp for failing to have proper escape rings on one of his commercial crab pots.

Location: Norton Sound
Type: Gear violations
On March 28 and 29, during a commercial crab patrol on state snow machines on the Norton Sound sea ice, Alaska Wildlife Troopers located three unmarked commercial pots, one commercial pot without the required escape rings and one without a sufficient biodegradable escape mechanism. Following further investigation, Frank Carruthers of Nome was issued citations on all five counts.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Seattle man fished illegally at Sitka, troopers say

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 3/30/10, at about 1600 hours, Alaska Wildlife Troopers from aboard the P/V Enforcer contacted Nicholas Johanson, 49, of Seattle. Johanson was summonsed to appear in court in Sitka on April 13 for commercial fishing in closed waters during the Sitka sac roe herring fishery.