Petersburg seiner penalized $15K; troopers say explosives used to herd salmon from closed area

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Driving salmon from closed waters
On 10/12/15 Andrew W. Kittams, 43, of Petersburg, pled guilty to a count of driving salmon from closed waters while commercial seining in 2013. Kittams was fined $3,000 and ordered to pay $12,375 in restitution to the state of Alaska. An additional charge of using explosives to drive salmon was dismissed as part of a plea agreement. The conviction stems from a July 2013 incident at Hidden Falls Hatchery where Kittams' crew, onboard the F/V Sara Dawn, was documented using explosives to drive salmon from a closed area into an active seine set.

Seiner penalized $37K in salmon-driving case

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Drive salmon from closed waters — commercial seine
On 2/11/15 Nina Alber, 52, of Cordova, permit holder aboard the F/V Leading Lady, entered a guilty plea in Sitka District Court to one count of driving salmon from closed waters. The plea was part of a pre-trial agreement through the Sitka District Attorney's Office. Nina Alber was fined $3,000 with $1,000 suspended and ordered to pay $35,000 in restitution for illegally taken fish and placed on probation for one year. Charges against vessel operator Louie Alber were dismissed as part of the agreement. The charges stemmed from a July 2013 offense where crew on the F/V Leading Lady were documented driving salmon out of closed waters near Hidden Falls hatchery.