Authorities write 33 subsistence citations, seize 21 nets and 1,100 pounds of salmon on Kuskokwim

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Lower Kuskokwim River
Type: Subsistence fish closed period
On 6/20/12, starting at about 1100 hours, a joint enforcement effort between Alaska Wildlife Troopers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers was conducted on the Lower Kuskokwim River. During the course of the effort 33 citations were written, 21 nets were seized and 1,100 pounds of salmon were seized. All offenses were for subsistence salmon fishing during a closed period and subsistence fishing with illegal gear. The seized salmon were donated to local charities. All of the contacts made during this effort were nonconfrontational.

Troopers arrest drunken man selling halibut

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Klawock
Type: Disorderly conduct
On 3/21/11 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Klawock Post, contacted an intoxicated male for selling subsistence halibut outside the Klawock AC Market. The contact led to the arrest of Mitchell H. Carle Jr., 33, for disorderly conduct. He was transported to the Craig jail and will appear in Craig District Court.

Haines man accused of cutting gear fined $1,250

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Update — interfere with subsistence gear
On 10/13/10 Brian A. O'Riley, of Haines, pled no contest in Sitka District Court to one count of criminal mischief. The charge resulted from O'Riley intentionally damaging a subsistence longline set for halibut in the Sitka area on 6/11/10. O'Riley was fined $2,500 with $1,250 suspended, ordered to pay restitution to the victim and placed on probation for one year.

Two sentenced in subsistence halibut scheme

From the U.S. attorney's office in Anchorage:

Oct. 14, 2010

Restaurant owner, fisherman sentenced for Lacey Act violation

ANCHORAGE — U.S. Attorney Karen Loeffler announced that on Oct. 13, a Juneau fisherman and the former owner of a Juneau restaurant were sentenced in federal court in Juneau for violating the Lacey Act by engaging in commercial transactions for halibut that was caught for subsistence purposes.

U.S. District Judge Timothy M. Burgess sentenced David Skrzynski, 58, of Juneau, to 12 months in prison, and Jason Maroney, 39, of Seattle, to 10 months in prison. Judge Burgess ordered that Maroney's imprisonment be served as community confinement.

Maroney, the owner and operator of the former Doc Waters Pub in Juneau, took part in a continuing scheme of purchasing subsistence-caught halibut for resale in the restaurant, a violation of federal regulations. Maroney pled guilty to purchasing subsistence fish from two sources.

Skrzynski, a commercial salmon fisherman, provided fish to Maroney. Skrzynski holds a valid Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (commonly known as a SHARC card), which allows him to fish for halibut for subsistence purposes. However, federal regulations prohibit the commercial sale of subsistence halibut.

A second fisherman who provided halibut to Maroney is now deceased.

Maroney pled guilty to transactions involving 4,000 pounds of illegally caught halibut, of which over 3,700 pounds was provided by Skrzynski. Maroney paid over $16,500 for the halibut. Maroney paid $4 to $5 per pound for the fish, significantly less than he would have paid for legally harvested halibut.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Burgess recognized the seriousness of the case by stating that this type of violation "absolutely undermines the National Marine Fisheries Service's ability to manage the fishery."

Loeffler commended the NMFS Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division, for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Skrzynski and Maroney.

Juneau restaurant owner pleads guilty to subsistence halibut scheme, could get 10 months

Here's the press release from the U.S. attorney's office.

Troopers: Gillnetter cut halibut longline at Sitka

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Criminal mischief
On 7/3/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Haines served Brian A. O'Riley, 62, of Haines, a summons for criminal mischief. The charge results from an incident on 6/11/10 where O'Riley intentionally cut off a legal subsistence longline for halibut, just prior to a gillnet opening O'Riley was participating in, inside the Deep Inlet terminal harvest area. The longline was valued at approximately $150. The victim contacted O'Riley with the remnants of the longline still aboard his vessel, then reported the crime to Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post. O'Riley is set to appear on 7/13/10 in the Sitka court.

Location: Sitka
Type: Commercial fish closed period
On 7/8/10 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, observed the F/V Patty Lynn operating a seine net in the Deep Inlet terminal harvest area after the area had closed to seining. Owner and permit holder James R. Vaughan, 47 of Craig, was summoned to Sitka District Court for commercial fishing during a closed period.

Troopers bust up illegal halibut sales scheme

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Klawock
Type: Selling federal caught subsistence halibut
On 08/06/09, at 1354 hours, Klawock Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Donald Nickerson Jr., age 44, of Klawock, for posting a sign outside the Klawock post office advertising fresh halibut for sale. At approximately 1430 hrs, Klawock AWT caught Nickerson attempting to sell federal caught subsistence halibut from his motor vehicle in Craig. The case was documented by AWT and forwarded to the National Marine Fisheries Service. Nickerson Jr. is being charged by NMFS with the illegal sale of federal caught subsistence halibut.

Sen. Kookesh to fight subsistence fishing citation

On Aug. 6 the Alaska State Troopers issued the following press release about subsistence salmon fishing citations issued to state Sen. Albert Kookesh and others.

Here's an Associated Press story about how Kookesh plans to fight the charge.

Location: Angoon
Type: Take overlimit of subsistence salmon
On 7/12/09 Alaska Wildlife Troopers from Hoonah contacted Albert Kookesh Sr., Scott Hunter, Stanley Johnson and Rocky Estrada Sr. while they were in possession of 148 sockeye salmon they took subsistence fishing with a beach seine in Kanalku Bay near Angoon. These individuals and one other person on scene each had a valid subsistence permit allowing them to take and possess a total of 75 sockeye salmon collectively. The additional 73 sockeye salmon in their possession were provided to the senior center in Angoon. At the conclusion of the Troopers investigation, Albert Kookesh Sr., Scott Hunter, Stanley Johnson and Rocky Estrada Sr. were each cited for one count of taking an overlimit of subsistence salmon which is a mandatory court appearance. Court appearance date is 8/12/09 in Angoon District Court.

Two indicted in subsistence halibut scheme

From the Justice Department:

July 24, 2009

Juneau men indicted by federal grand jury for illegal halibut sales

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — U.S. Attorney Karen L. Loeffler announced today that David Skrzynski and Jason Maroney, both of Juneau, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Anchorage on charges of violating the Lacey Act by selling halibut that was taken in violation of federal regulations.

The nine-count indictment names Skrzynski, 58, and Maroney, 38, as the sole defendants.

According to the nine-count indictment, Skrzynski holds a valid Subsistence Halibut Registration Certificate (otherwise known as a “SHARC card”), which allows him to fish for halibut for subsistence purposes. However, federal regulations prohibit the commercial sale of subsistence halibut.

Maroney was the owner of Doc Waters Pub in Juneau. The indictment alleges a continuing scheme from July 2005 to February 2008 where Skrzynski sold subsistence halibut to Maroney for resale in Doc Waters Pub.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Schroder, who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants.

The indictment also includes a criminal forfeiture count for Skrzynski’s vessel, the Drommen.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Enforcement Division, conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

'Civil disobedience' on Yukon?

State troopers are looking into reports of illegal king salmon subsistence fishing on the Yukon River, where the chinook run is weak this year.

Details today in The Tundra Drums.