Sunday, August 23, 2015

Crabber fined $3K, must pay $4K in restitution

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: Conviction
On 8/21/15 Michael Walker, 55, of Juneau, appeared for arraignment in Juneau District Court, where he pled guilty to the offense of retaining undersized Dungeness crab. He was fined $6,000 with $3,000 suspended and placed on probation for two years. Additionally, Walker must pay restitution in the amount of $4,110 for the retention of the undersized crab. The case stemmed from an inspection Alaska Wildlife Troopers conducted on 8/14/15 on the F/V Dundas. Walker, the captain and permit holder on the vessel, was found to be in possession of 411 undersized Dungeness crab, or approximately 26 percent of his catch.

Friday, August 21, 2015

Two seiners cited at Ketchikan

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/14/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Anthony George, 38, of Bellingham, Wash., for commercial fishing during a closed period. The incident took place during the Neets Bay salmon seine fishery. A mandatory appearance is set for Ketchikan District Court.

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/14/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Bryan Howey, 48, of Sitka, for commercial fishing during a closed period. The incident took place during the Neets Bay salmon seine fishery. A mandatory appearance is set for Ketchikan District Court.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Southeast seiners charged with illegal fishing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Prince of Wales Island
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 8/12/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers on the P/V Interceptor contacted the seine vessel Spicy Lady west of Craig fishing in waters closed to commercial salmon seining. The captain, Derek Gibb, 34, and the permit holder, Jaqueline Martens, 62, both of Petersburg, were served with a summons for commercial fishing during a closed period. Arraignment set for 9/1/15 in Craig District Court.

Troopers seize undersized crab, charge skipper

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: Undersized Dungeness crab
On 8/14/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers conducted an inspection of Dungeness crab on the F/V Dundas. An investigation revealed that the captain and permit holder, Michael Walker, 55, of Juneau, was in possession of 411 undersized crab, or approximately 26 percent of his catch. The undersized crab were seized and Walker was issued a misdemeanor summons to appear in Juneau District Court for retaining undersized commercial Dungeness.

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Theft, July 5 — Staff of the ferry M/V Tustumena reported that a stowaway had stolen a radio as he was being chased from the vessel between Akutan and Unalaska. The description of the suspect closely matched that of a man recently incarcerated for other crimes. Under investigation.

Animal, July 5 — Fisherman reported an eagle had some line and possibly a snagging hook wrapped around itself. Officers and the fisherman attempted to capture the eagle, but it escaped and swam away under a nearby pier.

Assist other agency, July 8, 0311 hours — U.S. Coast Guard reported having received a distress signal from an EPIRB associated with the F/V Pacific Knight. Officers confirmed that the vessel, which has been unoccupied and tied to the dock for a number of years, was still afloat. They also determined that the EPIRB was missing from the vessel's sea shelter. Other mariners later reported the EPIRB in the harbor.

Assistance rendered, July 8 — Unalaska Department of Public Safety forwarded information to the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the location of a small plane which had touched down on a remote beach but which could not take off for the return trip to Unalaska. The pilot and passenger, who were both unharmed and in sporadic contact with their families, declined emergency rescue, spent the night in the sand and were collected by a friend the next morning. The plane was left at the beach for recovery at a later date.

Assistance rendered, July 11 — Officers assisted crew with a bald eagle that had flown into and become stuck in an RSW tank onboard a fishing vessel.

Trespass, July 15 — Officers responded to a fishing vessel regarding a recently terminated employee who was dragging his heels about packing his gear and leaving the vessel. The ex-employee sped up, marginally, after officers arrived on scene and was eventually escorted to the dock.

Assist other agency, July 17 — Officers transported firearms belonging to the U.S. Coast Guard to the airport.

Ambulance request, July 27 — EMS personnel provided care and transport for a man who fell unconscious after breathing fishmeal dust.

Harassment, July 29, 2339 hours — Officers responded to a fishing vessel whose captain refused to address drunken behavior onboard and wished instead for police to deal with the matter. Officers found a drunken woman who was adamantly not reporting a sexual assault but who wanted to leave the vessel because her roommate had touched her naked body as she lay upon her bunk. The drunken woman left the vessel.