Troopers charge an Australian

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Elfin Cove
Type: Unsworn falsification

On 8/7/22 Alaska Wildlife Troopers found that Jacob Kumma, 36, of Australia, was possibly making false statements on commercial fishing documents as well as sportfishing documents. On 9/13/22 Alaska Wildlife Troopers were able to locate Kumma in Elfin Cove, where he claimed to live. Investigation revealed Kumma had made false statements on both his commercial fishing permit and sportfishing license as he is a resident of Australia. He was charged with unsworn falsification and issued a citation for false statement on a license application.

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.