Sitka herring seiner nets $250 fine in 2011 case

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka

Type: Sentencing — commercial fish closed waters

On 4/26/12 in Sitka District Court, Thomas Stafford, as skipper and permit holder on the F/V Infinite Grace, was found guilty of commercial fishing in closed waters on 4/4/11 during the third opener of the 2011 Sitka sac roe herring fishery. Stafford was fined $1,500 with $1,250 suspended and put on probation. The proceeds of the seized fish ticket are due to be determined on 5/30/12 in a post-sentencing hearing in Sitka District Court.

Sitka hand troller accused of multiple violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka, Cape Edgecumbe

Type: Multiple violations

On 4/27/12 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, observed the F/V Yankee operating hand troll gear in closed waters west of the Sitka Sound winter troll line. The vessel did not display any “HT” in conjunction with its Alaska Department of Fish and Game numbers to signify a hand troll vessel and was later found to have an overlimit of hand gurdies on board. The operator and permit holder, William A. Walder Jr., 51, of Sitka, was contacted on 4/28/12 and cited for the above offenses. Proceeds from the sale of fish taken on the trip will be seized by the state of Alaska. Arraignment set for 5/15/12 in Sitka District Court.

Salmon troller ticketed over lingcod retention

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka, Cape Edgecumbe

Type: Commercial fish closed season

On 4/27/12 Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Sitka Post, contacted Richard L. Summers, 56, of Craig, after he landed a lingcod as bycatch in the commercial salmon troll fishery. Lingcod retention is only open May 16 to Nov. 30, and Sitka Sound is closed to the retention of lingcod on commercial troll gear. Summers was cited with arraignment set in Sitka District Court. The proceeds from the illegally taken lingcod were forfeited to the state.

Geoduck fisherman charged with two violations

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Overlimit of geoducks
On 4/19/12 Jesse Hoyt, 36, of Ketchikan, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, for harvesting and retaining more than the maximum limit of geoducks for a commercial geoduck fishing period. Hoyt was assigned a mandatory court date of 5/1/12 in Ketchikan District Court.

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Employee unlicensed crewmember
On 4/26/12 Jesse Hoyt, 36, of Ketchikan, was cited by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post, for employing an unlicensed crewmember while engaging as the permit holder in a commercial geoduck clam fishery. Hoyt was assigned an optional court date of 5/8/12 in Ketchikan District Court. Bail was set at $260.

Beware lounging lions in Sitka

From the Sitka city and borough website:

Public Safety Announcement
4/19/12

Recently, sea lions have been witnessed sunbathing within the harbor system. Please use caution in the presence of these animals. Remember that harassing sea lions is illegal, and could be subject to federal penalties. It is suggested that the public contact the Harbor Department if a sea lion is seen on the docks.

Thank you for your co-operation,
Harbor Department

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Assistance rendered, April 15 — Officers responded to a residential fire and found the house occupied by 30-40 partiers, one of whom was trying to cool an overheated boiler with a bottle of Corona. Officers evacuated the building, turned off the boiler's fuel source and advised fire personnel of the problem.

Theft, April 16 — Caller reported his wallet, with $4,000 cash, had gone missing when he stepped outside his place of employment for a few moments. His wallet, with all contents intact, was located a short time later.

Disorderly conduct, April 19 — Captain requested assistance with a man whose employment had just been terminated and who was creating a disturbance. The responding officer ensured that the terminated employee understood what his employer was and was not required to do for him, and then arranged for a taxi to take the man elsewhere.

Suspicious person, April 21, 0007 hours — Officers responded to the small-boat harbor regarding a report that a large man was beating on a small lock, attempting to gain entry to a sailboat. The large man was gone by the time police arrived, but the drunken man who was inside the vessel making unpleasant remarks about the officers eventually came outside and was taken home by his mother.

Animal, April 21 — Caller reported a group of children standing around a fox, watching it die. Officers responded to the area and humanely destroyed the badly injured animal.

Skipper accused of illegal lingcod take at Yakutat

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat, Icy Bay Subdistrict
Type: Take lingcod in closed waters
On 4/20/12 Alaska Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to James Bergquist, 45, of Snohomish, Wash., for taking and retaining lingcod in closed waters in the Icy Bay Subdistrict on or about 9/7/11. Bergquist was operating the F/V Memories as skipper and permit holder. He was issued a mandatory court date of 5/17/12 in Yakutat District Court.

Crabber in a pinch over bairdi retention

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Dutch Harbor
Type: Illegal possession of bairdi crab
On 4/16/12 Dutch Harbor Wildlife Troopers issued a summons to Christopher Scott Studeman, 27, of Reedsport, Ore., for illegally possessing bairdi crab onboard a Bering Sea opilio crab vessel he was operating. The Bering Sea bairdi fishery is closed this season. Arraignment set for 5/2/12 in Unalaska District Court.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Suspicious activity, April 10, 0411 hours — A man wished to report that he had been spanked by the assistant cook of the vessel on which he was employed. The captain when told laughed at the man, who returned to work only to be spanked a second time. Officers advised the man to contact either the Alaska State Troopers or the U.S. Coast Guard, as the incident occurred outside of local jurisdiction.

Theft, April 12 — Ismael J. Seery, 25; Adrian D.M. DeLeon, 25; and Jason L. Miguel, 32, were charged with vehicle theft and criminal mischief after they stole a skiff from the processing vessel Arctic Star and then left it on a beach to be battered against the rocks.

Security check, April 13, 0010 hours — A man who received a phone call that appeared to have originated from a vessel nobody was supposed to be aboard asked officers to verify that the vessel was secure. Officers found that all doors and windows on the boat were properly latched and locked.

Drunk disturbance, April 14, 0217 hours — A rather inebriated and tottering man was seen urinating on a taxi cab. The man, who wasted an inordinate amount of time not identifying himself, was advised to keep his urine to himself when in public.

Roads, April 14 — Caller reported gigantic boulders on the roadway. A strong and able officer removed them so that traffic might safely pass.

Interference charged in Sitka herring fishery

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Interfering with commercial gear
On 4/7/12 Robert Haltiner, captain of the F/V Signe Lynn, a registered tender vessel participating in the 2012 Sitka sac roe herring fishery, was issued a summons by Sitka Wildlife Troopers to appear in Sitka District Court for interfering with commercial gear. Investigation revealed that during the third opening of the fishery, Haltiner attempted to block and interfere with a seine vessel's set.

Ketchikan man cited over late fish tickets

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Ketchikan
Type: Late fish tickets
On 4/10/12 Le Jiayong, 57, of Ketchikan, was cited by Alaska Wildlife Troopers, Ketchikan Post. Investigation revealed Le had returned 22 fish tickets later than the seven-day requirement. Arraignment set for 4/24/12 in Ketchikan District Court.

Skipper charged with fishing illegally for lingcod

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat, Icy Bay Subdistrict
Type: Commercial fish closed season
On 4/14/12 Alaska Wildlife Troopers from Yakutat served a summons to Timothy Knapp, 55, of Bellingham, Wash., who was operating the F/V Grant as the skipper and permit holder when he commercial fished during a closed season on lingcod in August of 2011. Knapp was given a mandatory court date of 5/17/12 in Yakutat District Court.

Longliner fined $250 over unlawful lingcod take

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat
Type: Update — take lingcod in closed waters
On 4/12/12 in Yakutat District Court, Marvin Gjerde, 63, of Snohomish, Wash., pled no contest to taking lingcod in closed waters on 8/26/11. He was sentenced to a $500 fine with $250 suspended and one year probation.

Yakutat salmon troller nets $1,500 fine

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat Bay
Type: Conviction — commercial fish closed waters
On 4/12/12 in Yakutat District Court, Loren Clark, 42, of Yakutat, pled no contest to commercial trolling in closed waters on 3/22/12 and was sentenced to a $3,000 fine with $1,500 suspended and one year probation.

Dutch Harbor report

From the local police blotter:

Fire safety, April 4 — Fire officer contacted Kloosterboer personnel about their parking, again, in such a way as to block access to a fire hydrant.

Sitka seiners fined, lose $27K in herring proceeds

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Sitka
Type: Update — commercial fish closed season
On 4/4/12, approximately one year after initially being charged with operating a herring seine net off the F/V Star Shadow during a closed season, operator Joe Lindholm and permit holder William Glenovich both appeared in Sitka District Court for nonjury trial. Lindholm was found guilty and ordered to pay a $9,000 fine, with $6,000 suspended. He was placed on probation for a period of one year. Glenovich also was found guilty as the permit holder for operating a seine net during a closed season. Glenovich was fined $3,000 with $2,500 suspended and placed on probation for a period of one year. Seized herring proceeds of about $27,000 are to be forfeited to the state.

Two charged with sexual assault at Dutch Harbor

From the Unalaska Department of Public Safety:

Sexual assault, March 27 — A young woman was escorted from a party to her bunkroom by two men who refused to leave her room and who then each sexually assaulted the young woman over a period of several hours. Officers investigating the incident were able to confirm multiple details about the assault. Ismael T. Ballalo, 45, was later arrested on one count of sexual assault I and one count of sexual assault II. Diego B. Mayuyo, 48, was later arrested on two counts of sexual assault II.

Unalaska radio station KUCB reported the men were processors, and the incident occurred in a UniSea bunkhouse.

False residency claims net man $5,000 in fines

From the Alaska State Troopers:

Location: Yakutat
Type: Conviction — unsworn falsification
On 3/29/12 David Negus was sentenced in Yakutat District Court for his conviction of five counts of unsworn falsification. For each count Negus was sentenced to a $2,500 fine with $1,500 suspended and 30 days in jail with 30 suspended, and for the whole case he was sentenced to five years of probation. Fines to pay totaled $5,000. From 2007 through 2011, Negus had applied for an Alaska resident Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permit, but he was not eligible for the resident permits.

CFEC records indicate Negus holds a Yakutat salmon setnet permit. His address is listed as a postal box at Yakutat.

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.