Skipper nets $5K fine over king crab takes

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Petersburg
Type: Conviction
On 1/11/16 William G. Wahl, 41, of Bend, Ore., pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of prohibited conduct. The charge was the result of an investigation which revealed Wahl, the captain and commercial permit holder aboard the F/V Victory, unlawfully took approximately 93 red king crab when there was no open season to harvest king crab. Wahl was sentenced to a fine of $10,000 with $5,000 suspended and placed on probation for two years. National Marine Fisheries Service enforcement officers aided in the investigation and pursued several halibut-related charges against a crewmember aboard the vessel.

Norton Sound crabbers pinched for littering

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Golovin
Type: Littering
On 7/24/13 Nome Wildlife Troopers contacted and cited Jerry L. Katchatag, 27, and Charles A. Lewis Jr., 31, both of Golovin, on three counts each of littering. Katchatag and Lewis were commercial fishing for crab through the ice in Norton Sound and recovered all of their pots by 5/20/13 but left their foam insulation in the holes. Bail set at $50 for each count.

Location: Golovin
Type: Littering
On 7/26/13 Nome Wildlife Troopers contacted and cited Rodney W. Lewis, 45, of Nome, on three counts of littering. Lewis was commercial crabbing through the ice of Norton Sound and failed to recover his foam boards when he recovered all his pots. Bail set at $50 for each count.

Petersburg king crabber accused of illegal fishing

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Petersburg
Type: Commercial fish closed waters
On 5/2/12 Jeremy Jensen, 37, of Petersburg, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers for fishing in closed waters for golden king crab. Jensen is the permit holder on the F/V Harvester. Arraignment set for 6/6/12 in Petersburg District Court.

Crabber fined $750 after court no-show

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Juneau
Type: Illegal crab gear
On 3/28/12 Michael Nilsen, 56, of Petersburg, failed to appear for an arraignment on a single count of operating a commercial king crab pot that failed to have the required legal escape rings. A judgment was entered against Nilsen for a fine of $750. The pot used in the violation is to be returned to Nilsen at his own expense and within 30 days.

Troopers seize king crab catch worth $88,622

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Wrangell
Type: Multiple crabbing violations
On 3/17/12 Jay Thomassen, of Seward, was cited by Alaska Wildlife Troopers for multiple violations pertaining to the commercial golden king crab fishery in Southeast Alaska. Thomassen, the permit holder on the F/V Angelette, was charged with commercial fishing in closed waters, retaining undersized king crab, possession of illegal crab and providing a false statement on his logbooks. Thomassen's catch was seized and the proceeds are held by the state of Alaska. The catch was estimated to be worth $88,622. Arraignment is scheduled for 4/18/12 in Petersburg District Court.

Cold storage nets $750 fine in fish ticket case

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Petersburg
Type: Update — fish ticket
On 11/23/11 Coastal Cold Storage Inc., of Petersburg, was represented by Greg Einerson in Petersburg District Court. Coastal was charged with one count of failing to complete all forms required of fish buyers. The charge was the result of an Alaska Wildlife Troopers investigation that showed Coastal took possession of a load of commercial red king crab and did not begin a fish ticket at the time of delivery, as required by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Coastal pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a fine of $2,000 with $1,250 suspended and placed on probation for one year.

Petersburg cold storage cited over fish ticket

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Petersburg
Type: Fail to complete fish ticket
On 11/12/11 Coastal Cold Storage Inc. in Petersburg was issued a summons for failure to complete fish tickets at the time of sale or delivery. On 11/3/11 Coastal Cold Storage purchased red king crab from a local fisherman and failed to complete a fish ticket at the time of delivery. Arraignment set for 11/30/11.

Ketchikan crabber Aleutian Ballad hauls up a ticket

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: No pot ID tag
On 6/20/11 Alaska Wildlife Troopers onboard the patrol vessel Enforcer cited David Lethin, 51, of Washington state, for operating a commercial king crab pot of the F/V Aleutian Ballad that failed to have an identification tag attached. Lethin was issued a summons to appear on 6/30/11 in Ketchikan District Court.

Troopers issue tickets, seize crab pots at Nome

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Nome/Norton Sound
Type: Winter crab fishery violations
Alaska Wildlife Troopers conducted a patrol of the Norton Sound king crab fishery from March 18 through March 23. Several violations were discovered which resulted in 15 pots being seized and 10 citations issued. Violations were for failure to obtain a subsistence permit, failure to mark subsistence pots, failure to properly mark commercial pots, improper commercial pot configuration and inadequate bio-escape mechanism. Citations were issued to Nome residents Caleb Weaver, Fred Tocktoo, Tony Shelp and Obie Simonis. Anyone missing pots is encouraged to contact Alaska Wildlife Troopers to determine if any of the pots seized for being unmarked belong to them.

Crabber in a pinch over undersized catch

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Possess undersized king crab
On 11/3/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Brett Alan Robinson, 50, of Mukilteo, Wash., for possessing undersized commercial Bristol Bay red king crab. Arraignment is scheduled for 11/24/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Aleutians crabber charged with observer violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Observer coverage
On 8/12/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Frederick D. Alvarez, 49, of Camano Island, Wash., for not providing 50 percent observer coverage while commercial golden king crab fishing west of 174 degrees W long. during the third trimester of the fishery. Arraignment is scheduled for 8/25/10 in Unalaska District Court.

Troopers accuse crabber of co-op gear violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Unalaska
Type: Illegal operation of crab gear
On 5/2/10 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Michael Howard Rosenthal, 56, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., for commercial king crab fishing the commercial king crab gear of another vessel that was in a co-op agreement after the co-op vessel had unregistered from the king crab fishery. Arraignment is scheduled for 5/26/10 in the Unalaska District Court.

Petersburg man cited for lack of vessel license

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Kake
Type: No commercial vessel license
On 02/23/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Petersburg Post, issued a citation to Jay Edgley Barnett, 51, of Petersburg, in Fanshaw Bay near Kake for no commercial vessel license. An investigation by troopers revealed Barnett was transporting commercial brown king crab pots from the fishing grounds to a storage location without having his current vessel licensed with the state Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. Bail was set at $210. An optional court appearance was set for 03/11/10 in the Kake District Court.

Bering Sea crabber cited for gear violation

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Bristol Bay
Type: Gear violation
On 11/18/09 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a citation to Joshua Edward Songstad, 33, of Arlington, Wash., for commercial red king crab fishing with a pot that did not contain a biodegradable escape mechanism that was at least 18 inches in length on the side panel of his king crab pot. Arraignment is scheduled for 1310 hours on 12/2/09 in the Unalaska District Court.