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Poachers Busted

8K views 24 replies 11 participants last post by  Striperjim 
#1 ·
I saw this posted on another forum:

http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/O5/n...-News+nfishbust
By James J. Allen
Staff Writer

SALISBURY ? As they emerged from the tall grass onto a fishing spot on Ring's Island, environmental police officers Kevin LaPlante and Scott Maher saw dead and half-dead fish everywhere.

Dozens of undersized striped bass were strewn through the weeds, lying across rocks, floating in the water, filling buckets and bags.

"Pretty much wherever I looked, I could see undersized striped bass," said LaPlante. "The number of fish that they took showed total disregard for any sportsmanship."

The two officers discovered the illegal fishing operation at about 11 p.m. Saturday. Aided by Salisbury and state police, Maher and LaPlante charged 15 Lowell fishermen with 60 fishing and related violations carrying $5,250 in fines. Some of the fish the group took were as small as 12 inches, less than half the 28-inch legal length. Fishermen are allowed to take only two fish per day.

The men charged had not been caught before, but environmental police say the incident is likely part of a growing trend of black-market fishing gangs expanding into the lower Merrimack Valley towns.

Poachers, often from Lowell and Lawrence, are believed to be selling the fish at lucrative prices to distributors.

With crackdowns stepped up around Lawrence in recent years, police say, poachers have lately turned to smaller riverside communities, including Merrimac, West Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury.

"As these violators are getting caught, they're pushing their activities into where they believe it's going to be much quieter for them," said Maher, who has been patrolling in the Lawrence area for the past seven years. "We're now seeing them push down as far as the mouth of the river, in Salisbury, in Newburyport and that area."

The poachers work in organized teams and often conduct counter-surveillance of police patrols by staying in radio contact, Maher said.

"There absolutely is a black market," said Maher. But the groups are difficult to infiltrate.

Locally, they've trespassed, parked illegally and trashed fishing spots in small neighborhoods, angering residents and prompting a local police response.

But foremost, they appear to have little or no respect for fishing rules and regulations, police say. Of the 38 fish police counted at Saturday night's bust, for example, one was of legal length, police said.

"There's no sport involved in these violations," said Maher.

During this year's striped bass fishing season, which runs through parts of May and June, environmental police have noted Plum Island and Deer Island as popular local fishing spots where most of the violations occurred.

When fishermen congregate in large groups, such as at the Merrimack's mouth, environmental police can depend on anglers policing themselves.

Such appears to be the case with Saturday night's bust, which was initiated on a tip from a local fisherman who complained of excessive violations off Sweet Apple Tree Lane, which winds toward the river from Ferry Road.

"The violations were such that he didn't even want to be in the area," said LaPlante.

Maher said he had regularly visited the spot, but hadn't witnessed violations there through last week. On this trip, the officers found several cars in a nearby field. They boxed them in with their truck and followed the mens' tracks down to the river. They watched them work for about 15 minutes before moving in, said Maher.

The officers split into two groups, with LaPlante going upriver to a group of five fishermen, and Maher approaching the other 10. The men would not show police their fish, would not say who caught which fish and were kicking some of the bass back into the water, LaPlante said. Some of the fish were still half-alive.

"We had some of the violators get back into the water and try to revive the fish as best they could," said LaPlante.

The men, all of Lowell, ranged in age. Most were well-dressed and "clean-cut," said LaPlante. None of the men was known to police through their records, so none was identified as black market fishermen. Had they been identified as past poachers, Maher said, the men could have faced court appearances.

The officers, later assisted by Salisbury and state police, cited each man with four violations, including possession of undersized stripped bass, exceeding the limit of two fish per person, failing to display fish when asked and violating wildlife management area regulations. Because the men were in an identified wildlife area, they were not supposed to be fishing after sunset.

The fishermen had also thrown beer bottles and trash around the fishing spot, said police.

"We had them clean up the entire area," said LaPlante.

Police seized all of the group's fishing tackle, including rods, reels, lures, tackle boxes and storage coolers. Maher, noting prior experience, said the equipment is easily replaced.

"It's obviously a lucrative enough market where they can afford taking these risks and getting caught," he said.
 
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#3 ·
We need to report these criminals and have them I report poachers T shirts distributed in the tackle shops. This is total :bs: Perhaps we can get help with the funding to make up the T shirts. Poachers make me sick.
 
#4 ·
In my world, they should be shot on site, immediately :rambo: Unfortunately, thats not conceivable.

Also very unfortunate, are the fines and punishments. We all (most of us anyway) know that the only way to get through the thickened skull of a pathetic Humanoid, is to hit them in the WALLET....and hit 'em HARD. $1000, $2500, and $5000 fines are needed to truly put a damper on this type of rubbish. This money could be used for so many positive things, yet we still play around with $60 fines here.....$60 fines there. That just doesnt work.

Glad they caught them though, scumbags. I am very happy their mission was successful. I would've been tempted to smash their heads in with a baseball bat.

Great post newt! :wtg:



 
#6 ·
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2005 10:20 pm Post subject:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In my world, they should be shot on site, immediately Unfortunately, thats not conceivable


In the old days they would have called you Jesse James :huh: :wtg:
 
#7 ·
The police should have confiscated their cars as well. These people are criminals, not only for taking illegal fish but also for trashing the area. Judge should make them do 100 hours each of community service, cleaning the shoreline. I hate it when people litter an area, let alone a beautiful shoreline.

As some of you know, I live on a pond and about 20 years ago I was walking my dog around it's perimeter. I came across a group of people that were having a cookout at one of the more picturesque spots on the pond. There was trash everywhere including dirty diapers, disgusting. As I was walking by I asked if they were having a good time and to please pick-up the area before they depart. They gave me a hard time asking if I was the trash police and laughing. When I got back to my house, I mixed up some glue and put it into a syringe, I'm a polymer chemist. I went down to where they had parked their cars and squirted the adhesive into every one of their locks, except the trunk. Then I took my boat out to watch as they returned to their cars. Guess who had the last laugh watching them climb into their cars through the trunk. :lol: I probably should have just called the cops. But, I was so pissed. Don't mess with chemical man.
 
#8 ·
I saw this story in the Newburyport Daily news yesterday too. I'm glad to hear they busted these people. We all need to report what we see. It's the only way to save the striped bass.

I saw we do this:

Hook them with a tuna hook, and tell them to start swimming. Count to 20, and then start reeling them in. This will change their attitude alittle bit.

Then shot them if they haven't learned anything.
 
#10 ·
TonyDB said:
When I got back to my house, I mixed up some glue and put it into a syringe, I'm a polymer chemist. I went down to where they had parked their cars and squirted the adhesive into every one of their locks, except the trunk. Then I took my boat out to watch as they returned to their cars. Guess who had the last laugh watching them climb into their cars through the trunk.
That is so AWESOME!

I think these penalties are so pathetic and weak, what good do they do? Charge someone 60 bucks, it ain't gonna teach them anything. Charge em 2500 bucks, might make them think twice next time. And if it doesn't, go 150 miles off shore and push em off the boat. That should do the trick.
 
#11 ·
kkevvy, don't get any ideas. I was enraged and wasn't thinking straight. I should have just called the cops and had them busted for drinking and littering. A vigillanty move like what I did is still against the law no matter if my heart was in the right place. We shouldn't take the law into our own hands.

Disclaimer: I had to say this because I don't want to give the kids the wrong idea.
 
#13 ·
Tony, I hear ya bud. Sounds like we'd get along just great :wtg: I also become infected with RAGE when I am witness to certain things. If I see someone get hit by a car, it doesnt bother me one bit. But if I see heavy littering, dumping, poaching, and disrespect to the fish and nature, I want to start swinging my fists at a high rate of speed. Actually, to be honest, I really dont even like humanity in general lol. Ofcourse, there are people that I like. But for the most part, people just get in my way. I have always cared more for animals and our environment more than anything to do with Humanoids. For instance, I would donate $1 million dollars to the Striped Bass before I would give it to something like "Feed The Homeless". Get a job :lmao:

Think about it, what are the ONLY ways to TRUELY get through a Humanoids thick skull....

1.) Bash their head in and/or snap some bones.

2.) Kill 'em.

or...

3.) Fine them HEAVILY, make them do SUPERVISED community service and/or jail time.



 
#18 ·
Nice, this is great that they got caught. But, How many others out there are doing the same thing. We need to report all violations to the police.

I just read the article in the Lowell Sun tonight and would love to know the names of these asshats. here is a link to the article in the Sun
http://lowellsun.com/local/ci_2819492

Posting this to the hall of shame is a must! Any mods that can do that?

Dont hesitate to report anyone!!!!

Cheers,
Jim
 
#21 ·
My grandpops told me that where we used to fish in San Luis Res, there was a group of people that would come by at night with a net that had to be a good 100 yrds and just sweep through the water and pick up the stripers. To this day they still haven't been caught! How sick is that! If I ever go back to Cally and see that sh*t I'm going to call the Fish & Game SWAT team on their ass.


:rambo: :assault: :pistols:

 
#22 ·
I'm glad to see the Lowell Sun has reported on this. Perhaps it will send a message to the few in the Lowell community commiting these crimes and that these criminal acts will not be tolerated and will be dealt with.

I searched the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune for any related stories, specifically the one relayed by the Lowell Sun about the two Lawrence people who were caught twice poaching stripers. Since I didn't find anything, I wrote a small blurb to their "Sound-off" section. Here's what I wrote.

To the Eagle-Tribune
Recently there was an article in a Salisbury newspaper and again in the Lowell Sun concerning poachers of Striped Bass. 14 people all-residing in Lowell committed the most recent offence. The Lowell Sun article also conveyed a previous offense perpetrated by two Lawrence men. The article goes on to report that many of the offenders are from the Lowell and Lawrence areas. I applaud the Lowell Sun for reporting these injustices. I have searched your web site and have not seen any related stories. I'm hoping that I just missed it.

It's important that the public be made aware of these crimes so that more people, not just other fishermen, can aid the game wardens in controlling these criminal acts. More specifically, I'm writing to your newspaper because we the public need you to send a message to the poachers in the community you service. The message being the perpetrators of these criminal acts will not be tolerated. That the public is watching and that offenders will be reported and dealt with. :mad:
 
#25 ·
Stripers forever.org emailed out the following comment on James Allens article about salisbury poachers in its newsletter.

Stripers Forever members -

One of problems with a legal commercial striped bass fishery of any size
is the cover that it provides for an illegal one. While commercial
fishing cheerleaders on the ASMFC make zero allowance for the black market
catch of striped bass, every regular bass angler knows that it exists, and
in a big way. The following article is just more proof of the illegal
activities.
A few months ago Stripers Forever commented negatively on Massachusetts
proposal to allow the sale of small wild stripers in Massachusetts. It is
certainly bad enough that small wild bass are legally taken commercially
anywhere, but to allow their importation into a state like Massachusetts -
where the minimum recreational fish is 28" - just makes it easier for
restaurants or fish dealers to market stripers that were taken illegally
from within their own state waters.
Stripers Forever is putting the finishing touches on a version of our now
well-known and highly-regarded Southwick Study that will be specific to
just the state of Massachusetts, the state with the largest coastal
commercial quota. It will show that the continuing a commercial striper
fishery in Massachusetts will cost that state many millions of dollars in
unrealized economic activity, and several thousand year round jobs. It's
a lot to give up to allow a comparative handful of guys to fuel up their
boats and beach buggies with the proceeds from the bass they sell during a few weeks each summer.
 
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