Deceased person aboard fishing vessel reported

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Bristol Bay/Alaska Peninsula region

Type: Deceased person

On 3/26/23 at approximately 0709 hours, Alaska State Troopers received a report of a deceased person aboard the F/V Starbound. The decedent is being sent to the state medical examiner's office for autopsy. No foul play is suspected.

Another conviction for Thorstenson

At a bench trial today in Sitka, Robert Thorstenson, 59, of Juneau, was found guilty of a commercial fishing violation, the Alaska Wildlife Troopers reported.

"Thorstenson was sentenced to a fine of $3,000 with $1,000 suspended, forfeiture of all proceeds and supplemental payments for seized fish, and two years probation with a condition to not commit any further commercial fishing violations," the agency said.

The case dates to September 2021 when Thorstenson, captain of the F/V Vigilant, and Jason Moilanen, of Petersburg, permit holder aboard the vessel, were found to be fishing in waters closed to commercial seining during a seine opening in Silver Bay near Sitka, the troopers said.

Troopers said they seized 5,170 pounds of salmon valued at $4,372.

Sitka troller cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka

Type: Fail to record on fish ticket

On 1/23/23 Alaska Wildlife Troopers contacted Jeffrey Turner, 55, of Sitka, offloading commercial troll-caught salmon to a Sitka processor. After the offload concluded, troopers located unreported fish remaining onboard the vessel. Turner was cited for failing to report king salmon kept as personal use at the time of a commercial offload.

Dungeness crabber cited at Petersburg

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Petersburg

Type: Unlawful holding of crab

On 1/6/23 Alaska Wildlife Troopers investigated a report of Dungeness crab being held unlawfully aboard a commercial fishing vessel. Investigation revealed Maclane McGrath, 22, of Petersburg, was in possession of commercially caught Dungeness crab after the close of the fishing district. AWT issued McGrath a citation for 5AAC32.031(d)(3) Commercial Fishing Dungeness Crab Landing Requirements with a mandatory appearance in Petersburg District Court.

Wrangell fisherman cited

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Wrangell
Type: Multiple violations
On 1/8/23 Richard Scott Phillips, 37, of Wrangell, was issued a summons for two counts of commercial fishing while unregistered and two counts of failure to submit fish tickets within seven days.

A new director for the Alaska Wildlife Troopers

Here's the press release.

Costly conviction for Juneau fisherman

Robert M. Thorstenson, 59, of Juneau, recently was found guilty at nonjury trial of a commercial fishing violation and sentenced to forfeiture of $24,993 for illegally caught salmon, according to court documents.

The original citation said that on Aug. 25, 2019, at Crawfish Inlet, Thorstenson as permit holder on the F/V Magnus Martens fished with seine gear less than 200 yards from a stream mouth in closed waters.

Authorities seized 83,282 pounds of salmon.

Thorstenson originally was charged with a misdemeanor, but the charge was amended as a noncriminal first offense.

Here's the judgment in the case.