IL Conservation Police arrest commercial fisherman for sale of live Asian carp

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois Conservation Police have arrested a commercial fisherman for the unlawful possession and sale of 1,800 pounds of live Asian bighead and silver carp. Randall E. Watters of Hamburg, IL was arrested October 7, 2014. He was charged in Calhoun County for the Unlawful Sale of Live Injurious Species (Class 3 Felony) and Unlawful Possession of Live Injurious Species (Class ‘A’ Misdemeanor). Ronald D. Watters of Hamburg, IL was ticketed for possession of live bighead carp.

 

“Commercial fishermen play a key role in our efforts to control Asian carp, and we make every provision to allow them to deliver fresh product to processing plants,” said Illinois DNR Director Marc Miller. “However, our Conservation Police Officers take the job of preventing the spread of invasive species seriously, and anyone who attempts to transport or sell live Asian carp will be cited.”

 

Rules governing “injurious” species, such as Asian bighead and silver carp, are designed to curtail the spread of these species. The complete rule can be found here: http://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/017/01700805sections.html. By state law, fish are considered to be live if they are held in a container with water, are held in a solution of salt, electrolyte, or other substance, or combination to promote health or longevity. The fish cannot be maintained by the addition of oxygen or compressed or supplied air to keep them alive in captivity.

 

A Class 3 Felony is punishable by up to 2-5 years imprisonment plus one-year mandatory supervised release, and up to $25,000 in fines or restitution. A Class A Misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in prison, fines of up to $2,500, or restitution.

Source: Inland Seas Angler GREAT LAKES BASIN REPORT – GLSFC

DNR-requested independent probe results in charges against former warden

By: Joanne M. Haas/Bureau of Law Enforcement

A former Department of Natural Resources conservation warden was charged in Sauk County Circuit Court with felony theft and felony misconduct in public office following an independent State Capitol Police investigation requested by DNR officials.

Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger, who is serving as the special prosecutor in this case, filed the charges against Dave Horzewski, who was a conservation warden based in Sauk County until his termination in July 2013.

DNR officials found evidence of misconduct following Horzewski’s termination and requested the State Capitol Police conduct an independent investigation.

Chief Conservation Warden Todd Schaller said Horzewski’s alleged actions are not acceptable to the public or the law enforcement community and do not align with the values of the Wisconsin Conservation Warden Service.

“We are accountable for our actions – period,” Schaller said. “When the potential misconduct was discovered, we turned it over to State Capitol Police for investigation.”

Schaller, a warden for 25 years before being named chief in January, said the DNR is unable to comment about the case as it is pending in court. He referred all questions to Monroe County District Attorney Croninger.

“The wardens consider the public their partners in protecting the natural resources and the people who enjoy them,” Schaller said. “Maintaining the public’s trust is our highest priority. We take that responsibility seriously.”

A criminal complaint is a document accusing a person of a violation of criminal law -- merely a formal method of charging an individual and does not constitute inference of his or her guilt. The public is reminded an individual is presumed innocent until such time, if ever, that the government establishes his or her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Slow no-wake boating restriction in effect on St. Croix River

Water levels on the St. Croix River have risen to the point where any early boaters venturing onto it will be required to slow down to minimize shoreline damages.

Boaters on the St. Croix between Taylors Falls and Prescott must operate at slow no-wake speeds when the river’s level reaches 683 feet above sea level at Stillwater. The special restriction, authorized by state rules in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, is aimed at reducing shoreline erosion and resulting property damage in areas not usually susceptible to wave action at lower water levels. Officials from Wisconsin, Minnesota and the National Park Service will post signs regarding the slow no-wake requirement at all public accesses, and marina operators have been notified.

The slow no-wake rule will remain in effect until the water level again recedes below the 683-foot level. The river is predicted to remain above 683 for about a week. Boaters can consult the National Weather Service website for the latest updates on current and projected water levels.

Boat and water safety officials at the DNR also point out that high-running rivers often contain debris floating just below the surface that can present significant hazards. Boaters should slow down and exercise extra caution in such conditions. Water temperatures at this time of year also pose serious risk of hypothermia.

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Florida snowbird overdoes it in Sawyer County Overbagging: Nearly $6,000 in fines, rights revoked

State Conservation Warden Tom Heisler of Winter was already working an overbagging case when he spotted another busy angler on popular Lake Chetac in Sawyer County.

“I saw it. There were four fishing lines. The law allows three. And, he was catching a lot of fish,” Heisler said of the moment he launched a summer investigation in what became the case of the Florida snowbird and his Wisconsin son. “I zeroed in on it.”

Months later on October 11 in a Sawyer County courtroom, Ronald Dollevoet of Florida, and his adult son, Jeffrey Dollevoet of Green Bay, were ordered to pay a total of $5,787.75 in fines and to lose some of their outdoor privileges of hunting, fishing and trapping for a few years.

(Above: Some of the fish packets confiscated in the Lake Chetac overbagging case.)

The father, Ronald Dollevoet of Florida, loses his outdoor recreational privileges for three years in his home state of Florida, too, under the multi-state Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact. Both Wisconsin and Florida are among the 36 member states in the compact. This agreement calls for license privilege suspensions in the 36 member states. In the case of Ronald Dollevoet, it means his rights revocation is in effect in his home state of Florida, the location of the violation – Wisconsin, and the rest of the member states.

The penalty was less for his son, Jeffrey Dollevoet of Green Bay. Because of his cooperation with the investigation, he lost only his fishing privileges in Wisconsin and for only two years.

“It took a little bit of time to catch them,” Heisler said. “In the end, they faced substantial fines and lost their privileges for hunting, fishing and trapping.”

A familiar story

The case of the Florida snowbird over-fishing is an all-too-familiar story to the conservation wardens on the beat in the northwoods, as well as the local residents and anglers who follow the rules of ethical and legal fishing to preserve their regional natural resources and their tourism economy.

Conservation Warden Andy Lundin of Green Bay says the wardens know the majority of people who enjoy the lakes follow the rules to sustain the resource. However, he says, the Sawyer County case shows how that attitude can change.

“Visitors like this (Ronald Dollevoet) typically are in the north for a limited time. The ones who choose to break the law sometimes feel the need to take as many fish as possible,” Lundin said. “It is certainly one of the more common complaints but not just limited to people who are visiting Wisconsin.”

Heisler agreed. “It is a common problem and it is a workload issue because you must spend so much time on one case.”

The case crosses county lines

Long before Heisler spotted Ron Dollevoet fishing on that summer day, Heisler had been getting citizen complaints from citizens about another fisherman overbagging on certain lakes. But the visiting Florida man wasn’t the fisher mentioned in the other complaints. Ron Dollevoet had been visiting from Florida for several years and had a place on the lake in which he stayed for months each summer.

Yet, on the day Heisler was following up on the complaints, he spotted Dollevoet and gave himself another case.

“The investigation revealed this guy was catching and keeping fish all the time,” Lundin said of the Florida man. Through the wardens’ investigation of the area, the wardens were able to determine there was a family member from Wisconsin – Jeffrey from Green Bay – involved in the case.

This is when Heisler asked Lundin from Green Bay to check in with the adult son.

“I found that Jeffrey had 77 packages of panfish in his freezer, which totaled 687 panfish,” Lundin said. “We were only able to account for possession limits for three people.”

The general statewide daily bag limit for panfish is 25 and the possession limit is 50 fish per person. Take away 150 from 687 and you’ve got 537 too many fish.

“And this is from a lake that already has a more stringent panfish bag limit. Normally, your 25 panfish daily bag limit could consist of all bluegills,” Lundin said. “But on this lake, only 10 of the 25 fish can be bluegills.”

What happens to the fish now? The wardens say the fish are either donated to a food pantry or provided for a charitable event.

Both wardens say another lesson the case shows is the fact every fish caught does not have to be kept. “There is no law that says you must keep every fish you catch,” Heisler said.

Lundin agreed, adding he takes the lesson into his guest lectures and safety classes at schools.

“I tell the kids you can catch and keep 25 panfish today for your daily bag limit and you can catch and keep another 25 tomorrow,” Lundin said. “But now you have 50 which is your possession limit. At that point you should be done fishing for panfish until some of the fish get consumed."

“The goal is to keep it fair, ensure sustainability of the resource and limit things from going to waste,” Lundin said. “ Many of these types of cases are of people being greedy and in part why we have possession limits.”

Heisler says while this case didn’t stem from specific citizen complaints, a high volume does. “The citizens are our eyes and ears.”

To report a violation, call the DNR Hotline at 1-800-TIP-WDNR  (1-800-847-9367) or cell #367

-- JMH, Bureau of Law Enforcement

DNR steps up invasive species enforcement in Alexandria area beginning this weekend

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is increasing enforcement efforts to prevent the transportation of aquatic invasive species from several lakes in the Alexandria area in west-central Minnesota.

Additional conservation officers will target these areas during peak weekend use in an effort to protect resources and educate boaters and anglers about zebra mussels that were discovered in Lake Le Homme Dieu, part of the Alexandria chain of lakes, in late June.

The following lakes have been selected for enhanced enforcement surveillance:

• July 3-5 - Alexandria chain of lakes (Douglas County)
• July 10-12 - Lake Osakis (Todd and Douglas counties)
• July 16-18 - Otter Tail and West Battle Lakes (Otter Tail County)
• July 24-26 - Minnewaska (Pope County).

Minnesota’s water resources are threatened by numerous aquatic invasive species such as the zebra mussel, Eurasian watermilfoil and purple loosestrife

“Invasive species can be easily transported from one lake to another, but taking some simple precautions can minimize the risk,” said Capt. John Hunt, DNR water resource enforcement manager.

Hunt offered boaters these suggestions:

• Draining bait buckets, bilges and live wells before leaving any water access is a good habit to develop.
• Removing aquatic plants and zebra mussels from boats and trailers to prevent the spread of invasive species is required by law.
• Draining all water, including pulling the drain plug, is required by law when leaving waters that have been designated as infested with spiny water fleas or zebra mussels.

Officers and watercraft inspectors will hand out materials to educate boaters and anglers so that they take more responsibility in preventing the spread of invasives when they transport their boats from lake to lake.

Under Minnesota law, it is illegal to transport aquatic plants, zebra mussels, other prohibited species.and water from infested waters. Violators could face fines up to $500.

New ‘move-over’ law for boaters effective July 1

A new Minnesota law requiring boaters to stay clear of enforcement watercraft with their emergency lights flashing goes into effect on July 1. The so-called move-over law is intended to provide the same protection for watercraft enforcement officers as similar laws do for police, State Patrol and other emergency response personnel.

The new law states, “When approaching and passing a law enforcement watercraft with its emergency lights activated, the operator of a watercraft must safely move the watercraft away from the law enforcement watercraft and maintain a slow-no wake speed while within 150 feet of the law enforcement watercraft.”

“Waves generated by other boats speeding nearby makes it difficult and dangerous for emergency responders in watercraft. They must be able to render aid safely to an injured victim in the water and perform their other enforcement duties,” said DNR Enforcement Chief, Col. Jim Konrad. “The move-over law will help ensure the safety of officers and the boaters they contact.”

Enforcement of boating under the influence’ laws to intensify weekend of June 26-28

Wisconsin to participate in

"Operation Dry Water" nationwide effort

MADISON -- Recreational boaters should think twice before drinking a cold beer the weekend of June 26-28 as Department of Natural Resources conservation wardens and municipal boat patrol officers plan to step up enforcement of impaired operator laws as part of a national coordinated effort known as “Operation Dry Water.”

Wardens and patrol officers will be out in force looking for boat operators whose blood alcohol content exceeds the state limit of 0.08 percent. Boater education also will be part of the national effort in addition to the increased patrols.

“We want people to be safe and have fun while boating,” said Todd Schaller, DNR Recreation Enforcement and Education Section Chief, of the overall goal of the national effort. “But alcohol use has become the leading contributing factor in fatal recreational boating accidents. We recommend boaters avoid drinking alcoholic beverages at all times. We will have zero tolerance for anyone found operating a boat under the influence of alcohol or drugs on our waters.”

Schaller said alcohol can impair a boater’s judgment, balance, vision and reaction time, and can increase fatigue and susceptibility to the effects of cold-water immersion. Sun, wind, noise, vibration and motion – “stressors” common to the boating environment – intensify the side effects of alcohol, drugs and some prescription medications. In 2008, alcohol and drug use were involved in 35 percent of the boating fatalities in Wisconsin.

Impaired boaters caught this weekend can expect penalties to be severe. They will include fines, jail and possible impoundment of boats.

“There will be arrests this weekend, and some boaters will face the consequences of boating under the influence,” Schaller said. “But we'd much rather arrest someone than to have to tell their friends and family they're never coming back.”

Operation Dry Water is a joint program of the Department of Natural Resources, municipal patrols, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), the U.S. Coast Guard. More information is available at [www.operationdrywater.org] and on the boating safety pages of the DNR Web site.

Volunteers Needed for Sturgeon Guard: Night shift volunteers especially in demand

OSHKOSH - Each Spring, hundreds of volunteers guard sturgeon at their spawning sites on the Wolf River to protect the fish from poaching. This rich tradition and partnership with the public is directed by Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement staff and funded, in part, by Sturgeon for Tomorrow, a local sturgeon conservation organization.

When sturgeon spawn along the rocky shorelines of the Wolf River they pay little attention to people and are very susceptible to illegal harvest. To protect them, "Sturgeon Guard" volunteers maintain a presence at the spawning sites 24-hours a day throughout the spawning season, which usually begins in late April and lasts through early May.

When spawning begins, pairs of sturgeon guards are assigned to sites along the river for 12-hour shifts. Prior to assignment, guards check in at "Sturgeon Camp" just north of Shiocton, where they are fed a good meal, given a generous sack lunch and an identification hat (that they keep), and directed to their site. At the end of their shift, guards return to camp for another hearty home-cooked meal before they make their way home.

Currently, Sturgeon Guard is much in need of volunteers to fill the overnight shifts. If you are interested in signing up for the Sturgeon Guard, send an email message to: sturgeon.guard@wisconsin.gov (email is preferred), or call the Sturgeon Guard Coordinator at the DNR Oshkosh Service Center (920) 303-5444.

While it is impossible to predict the exact dates that spawning will occur each year, guards are routinely scheduled somewhere within a window from April 15 through May 5. Spawning generally occurs for a five to seven day period. DNR schedulers do their best to get all scheduled guards out on the riverbank to see fish, but since nature dictates the spawning activities timing and duration, schedulers cannot guarantee all volunteers will actually get a shift.

EIGHT CHARGED WITH ILLEGALLY HARVESTING AND SELLING STRIPED BASS

Two More Indicted in Largest Ever Investigation into Illegal Commercial Fishing in the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River

WASHINGTON— Five commercial fishermen in St. Mary’s County, Md., a fish wholesaler, its owner and an employee have been charged in Maryland and Washington, D.C., for their role in the illegal harvest, sale, and purchase of hundreds of thousands of pounds of striped bass from the Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River from 2003 through 2007, the Justice Department announced today.

“State and federal authorities are working together to preserve our precious natural resources, including striped bass or rockfish, which was named the official fish of the state of Maryland in 1965” said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein. “If commercial fishermen obey the rules, we can all enjoy rockfish forever. If we allow overfishing and fail to enforce those rules, the rockfish population could be wiped out very quickly.” [Full Story]

Source: USFWS