Two more Cook Inlet fishermen cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kenai

Type: Commercial fish closed area

On 7/21/25 at approximately 1142 hours, Alaska Wildlife Troopers were patrolling the Kenai Beach. Bruce Manley, 73, from Kasilof, was contacted commercial dipnetting. Investigation revealed Manley was fishing in a closed area. A mandatory court appearance was filed with Kenai courthouse.

Location: Kenai

Type: Commercial fish closed period

On 7/19/25 at approximately 1442 hours, Alaska Wildlife Troopers were conducting a patrol in Cook Inlet during a commercial fishing drift opener. Investigation revealed Perrin Dejax, 26, from Homer, was fishing in a closed area. A mandatory court citation was filed with the Kenai courthouse.

Two cases involving factory trawlers settled

NOAA's Office of General Counsel reports the following case resolutions:

• F/V America's Finest — Owner America's Finest Fishing LLC was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with directed fishing for groundfish with trawl gear in the Nearshore Bristol Bay Trawl Area when that area was closed to trawling. A $121,984.48 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued, and the case settled for $41,000.

• C/P Northern Eagle — Owners American Seafoods Co. LLC and Northern Eagle LLC were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with failing to ensure no salmon of any species passed the observer collection point. A $15,000 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $13,500.

$101,031 settlement reached in trawl case

The NOAA Office of General Counsel reports resolution of the following case:

• F/V Ocean Peace — Owner Ocean Peace Inc. was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishing in the Nearshore Bristol Bay Trawl Area after it had closed. A $111,031 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued, and the case settled for $101,031.

Federal officials update enforcement cases

From the NOAA Office of General Counsel:

• F/V American Dynasty — Medic Daniel Craig Azcarate was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with sexually harassing a female fisheries observer. A $36,000 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued, and the case settled for $3,000.

• C/P Cape Horn — Operator Ata Ioapo was charged under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with sexually harassing a female observer by grabbing her buttocks without consent. A $24,000 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $6,000.

• C/P Cape Horn — Owner Cape Horn Vessel LLC and operator Peter Pack were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Act with fishing in a closed area. A $26,801 NOVA was issued, and the case settled for $26,226.

Catcher-processor owner, operator charged

The NOAA Office of General Counsel reports the following Alaska case charged in July:

• C/P Cape Horn — Owner Cape Horn Vessel LLC and operator Peter Pack were charged jointly and severally under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act with fishing in a closed area. A $26,801 NOVA (notice of violation and assessment) was issued.

Troller nets $1,250 fine at Sitka

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakobi Island
Type: Commercial troll closed waters
On 11/7/17 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, cited Eric Mckee, 34, of California, for commercial trolling in a "high abundance king salmon area" offshore of Yakobi Island, while the area was closed. The citation was related to a violation observed 7/17/17 by AWT. Mckee pled no contest to the charge on 11/21/17 in Sitka District Court. He was fined $2,500 with $1,250 suspended and placed on probation for one year.

Troopers cite two sea cucumber divers

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kasaan
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 10/6/15 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Prince of Wales Island Post, contacted divers on the F/V Resurrection after they commercially harvested sea cucumbers in closed waters near Kasaan. Both divers, Thomas Trumper, 67, of California, and Charles Bremer, 38, of Ketchikan, were issued summonses to appear in Craig District Court. The fish product was seized pending forfeiture to the state of Alaska.

Juneau man charged with trolling in closed area

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Hoonah
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 6/23/15 Thomas T. Emerson, 24, of Juneau, was cited for operating commercial troll gear in a closed area. Emerson was observed by state aircraft trolling near Point Couverden when that area was closed. Arraignment set for 7/15/15 in Hoonah District Court.

Metlakatla gillnetter accused of illegal fishing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 8/4/14 Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited Dion A. Booth, 20, of Metlakatla, for commercial salmon fishing with a drift gillnet in a closed area of Nichols Passage in District 1F. He also was cited for having no Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permit in possession. This offense was observed on 7/21/14 and documented by the U.S. Coast Guard. Booth has a mandatory arraignment in Ketchikan District Court.

Seiner charged, nearly 8,000 lbs of salmon seized

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 7/11/13 Izaak J. Esquiro, 37, of Warm Springs, Ore., was cited for operating a purse seine in a closed area during the Amalga Harbor seine fishery. Esquiro, who was operating the F/V Coral, was given an arraignment date of 7/17/13 in Juneau District Court. Just under 8,000 pounds of fish were seized as well.

Two Yukon River fishermen cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Pilot Station
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 7/4/13 Kotzebue and Nome Wildlife Troopers contacted Crystal Minnie Fancyboy, 34, of Pilot Station, while she was commercial fishing on the Yukon River across from Pilot Station. Fancyboy was cited and ordered to appear in St. Marys District Court for commercial fishing in a closed area. Fancyboy was fishing in the closed section surrounding the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sonar station.

Location: Pilot Station
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 7/4/13 Kotzebue and Nome Wildlife Troopers contacted David Askoak, 57, of Newhalen, while he was commercial fishing on the Yukon River across from Pilot Station. Askoak was cited and ordered to appear in St. Marys District Court for commercial fishing in a closed area. Askoak was fishing in the closed section surrounding the Alaska Department of Fish and Game sonar station.

Southeast seiner accused of fishing closed area

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Hoonah
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 8/23/11 Jared Bright, 36, of Petersburg, was cited by Hoonah Wildlife Troopers for commercial purse seine fishing in a closed area. Troopers on 7/3/11 observed Bright fishing onboard the F/V Obsession outside of the legal fishing area in District 13C. Bright is scheduled for arraignment on 9/6/11 in Sitka District Court.

Kake troller charged with fishing in closed area

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kake
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 6/28/11 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, cited Nicholas Davis, 64, of Kake, for commercial fishing by power troll in a closed area on the F/V Joy. A mandatory court appearance was set for 7/19/11 in Kake District Court.

Halibut fisherman cited over lingcod bycatch

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Icy Bay, Yakutat
Type: Bycatch
On 6/21/11 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, cited Kurt N. Hansen, 49, of Seattle, for retaining lingcod while the commercial lingcod season was closed by emergency order. Investigation revealed Hansen retained lingcod bycatch in the halibut fishery on 6/11/11 inside the Icy Bay subdistrict, which had been closed to the retention of lingcod on 5/24/11. Hansen was cited and scheduled to appear for arraignment in Yakutat District Court.

Troopers make a pair of crabbing cases

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kodiak
Type: Commercial fish closed area
On 1/21/11 Walter Sargent, 73, was cited by Kodiak Wildlife Troopers for commercial fishing for Tanner crab in Kaiugnak Bay after the area had closed to commercial Tanner crab fishing.

Location: Chignik
Type: Gear violation
On 1/17/11 Kodiak Wildlife Troopers aboard the patrol vessel
Woldstad were inspecting the fishing vessel Alaskan Frontier's gear at sea when it was discovered that the operator and permit holder, Alfredo S. Aboueid, 64, of Chignik Lagoon, was fishing pots configured to catch Tanner crab as well as a pot configured to catch cod. Aboueid admitted fishing the one pot configured to catch cod while validly registered and actively fishing in the Chignik Tanner crab fishery. Aboueid was issued a citation with arraignment set for 2/25/11 in Naknek District Court.