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http://homertribune.com/2010/05/halibut-charter-captain-charged/
Halibut charter captain charged
Wildlife investigation sting targeted halibut sport fishing captains
By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
A Ninilchik sport-fishing guide was charged Friday with allegations that he let one client catch five halibut and another to catch three in violation of the two-halibut limit imposed in Cook Inlet waters.
The charges stem from a July 10, 2009 fishing day off Anchor Point involving two Alaska Wildlife Troopers who booked an undercover fishing trip with Ninilchik Saltwater Charters’ owner Arthur C. Aho III.
By the end of the investigation, Aho, 49, was charged with two counts of aiding a client in violating sport fishing laws, one count of wasting fish, one count of making a false entry in his charter logbook and one count of retaining a halibut with paying clients onboard.
According to the charging documents issued Friday from the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals in Anchorage, the total number of clients on the boat included six, with four others fishing that day in addition to the two undercover officers.
“During the charter, investigators observed Aho allow one client to catch and retain five halibut in violation of the two-halibut limit,” charging documents say. “Investigators observed Aho allow another client to catch and retain three halibut in violation of the two-halibut limit. Aho personally hooked three halibut.”
If a sport-fishing guide hooks a halibut and then turns it over to a client, it is in violation of Alaska Department of Fish and Game rules. That law was further amended to say that sport-fishing guides cannot retain halibut while paying clients are aboard the vessel. Also, if one fisherman hooks a fish — even if he doesn’t land it — that fish is considered the catch of the one who hooked it, said Lt. Bernard Chastian with the wildlife investigation unit.
Charging documents also allege that “investigators observed Aho leave the halibut that would complete the boat limit of 12 halibut (two for each of the six clients) on the deck of the boat for approximately 40 minutes. The halibut remained out of the water and on deck while the clients continued to fish.”
After about 40-45 minutes, one client caught a larger halibut and Aho decided it should be kept and the smaller fish on the deck was tossed back in the water.
“Aho directed the deckhand to release the halibut. Investigators observed that the halibut showed no signs of movement as it was released, turned belly up, and sank out of sight,” according to the allegations.
After the fishing charter, investigators obtained a copy of Aho’s saltwater logbook entry for July 10, 2009. He had allegedly written down that 12 halibut were caught, rather than 13, according to the allegations. He also allegedly wrote down that each client kept two halibut.
According to background information stated in the charging documents, this wasn’t the first time Aho was targeted in a sport fishing sting. On Aug. 22, 2006, he was charged with a violation from the previous summer alleging he had aided a client in fish and game violations.
Wildlife officers are conducting investigations in both Kachemak Bay and Resurrection Bay, Chastain said, as well as all over the state in an effort to make sure the smaller fish caught aboard charters and other vessels aren’t being traded out for bigger fish.
“We do undercover operations that cover the state, investigating big game hunting guides, fishing guides and we pick our targets carefully,” Chastain said. “The law states a guide can show clients how to fish; he can put the rod in the water and show the proper technique for catching a halibut. But he if he hooks a halibut, it is his fish.”
The same rule applies on private vessels – if you hook it, it’s counted in your bag limit.
In the case of fishing guides, the penalty for conviction in trading out smaller for bigger fish and for hooking their clients’ fish can result in losing their guide certification, fines and jail time, Chastain said.
Contact the writer
Posted by Newsroom on May 19th, 2010 and filed under Headline News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling out the following comment form, or trackback to this entry from your site. Please read the comment policy before commenting.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
Halibut charter captain charged
Wildlife investigation sting targeted halibut sport fishing captains
By Naomi Klouda
Homer Tribune
A Ninilchik sport-fishing guide was charged Friday with allegations that he let one client catch five halibut and another to catch three in violation of the two-halibut limit imposed in Cook Inlet waters.
The charges stem from a July 10, 2009 fishing day off Anchor Point involving two Alaska Wildlife Troopers who booked an undercover fishing trip with Ninilchik Saltwater Charters’ owner Arthur C. Aho III.
By the end of the investigation, Aho, 49, was charged with two counts of aiding a client in violating sport fishing laws, one count of wasting fish, one count of making a false entry in his charter logbook and one count of retaining a halibut with paying clients onboard.
According to the charging documents issued Friday from the Alaska Office of Special Prosecutions and Appeals in Anchorage, the total number of clients on the boat included six, with four others fishing that day in addition to the two undercover officers.
“During the charter, investigators observed Aho allow one client to catch and retain five halibut in violation of the two-halibut limit,” charging documents say. “Investigators observed Aho allow another client to catch and retain three halibut in violation of the two-halibut limit. Aho personally hooked three halibut.”
If a sport-fishing guide hooks a halibut and then turns it over to a client, it is in violation of Alaska Department of Fish and Game rules. That law was further amended to say that sport-fishing guides cannot retain halibut while paying clients are aboard the vessel. Also, if one fisherman hooks a fish — even if he doesn’t land it — that fish is considered the catch of the one who hooked it, said Lt. Bernard Chastian with the wildlife investigation unit.
Charging documents also allege that “investigators observed Aho leave the halibut that would complete the boat limit of 12 halibut (two for each of the six clients) on the deck of the boat for approximately 40 minutes. The halibut remained out of the water and on deck while the clients continued to fish.”
After about 40-45 minutes, one client caught a larger halibut and Aho decided it should be kept and the smaller fish on the deck was tossed back in the water.
“Aho directed the deckhand to release the halibut. Investigators observed that the halibut showed no signs of movement as it was released, turned belly up, and sank out of sight,” according to the allegations.
After the fishing charter, investigators obtained a copy of Aho’s saltwater logbook entry for July 10, 2009. He had allegedly written down that 12 halibut were caught, rather than 13, according to the allegations. He also allegedly wrote down that each client kept two halibut.
According to background information stated in the charging documents, this wasn’t the first time Aho was targeted in a sport fishing sting. On Aug. 22, 2006, he was charged with a violation from the previous summer alleging he had aided a client in fish and game violations.
Wildlife officers are conducting investigations in both Kachemak Bay and Resurrection Bay, Chastain said, as well as all over the state in an effort to make sure the smaller fish caught aboard charters and other vessels aren’t being traded out for bigger fish.
“We do undercover operations that cover the state, investigating big game hunting guides, fishing guides and we pick our targets carefully,” Chastain said. “The law states a guide can show clients how to fish; he can put the rod in the water and show the proper technique for catching a halibut. But he if he hooks a halibut, it is his fish.”
The same rule applies on private vessels – if you hook it, it’s counted in your bag limit.
In the case of fishing guides, the penalty for conviction in trading out smaller for bigger fish and for hooking their clients’ fish can result in losing their guide certification, fines and jail time, Chastain said.
Contact the writer
Posted by Newsroom on May 19th, 2010 and filed under Headline News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response by filling out the following comment form, or trackback to this entry from your site. Please read the comment policy before commenting.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
