NEWS RELEASE

WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, Washington 98501-1091
Internet Address: http://wdfw.wa.gov



Dec. 29, 2004

Contacts:

Sgt. Russ Mullins (WDFW), (360) 201-0638;

Or: Brian Gorman (NMFS), (206) 526-6613



Skagit chinook poacher pays state fines, could face federal ESA penalties
OLYMPIA - Enforcement officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) have cited a Mount Vernon man for multiple fishing violations, including possessing wild chinook salmon, which are protected from harvest under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA).



Melvin R. Kingma, 65, was cited Oct. 13 for illegal take and possession of seven wild chinook from the lower Skagit River. Kingma was observed fishing with multiple fishing poles, which is against state regulations.



In addition to the seven chinook, Kingma was also in possession of 18 coho salmon. He was cited for possessing more fish than the personal limit allowed. Kingma paid a total of $600 in state fines.



Kingma could also face federal penalties because the chinook salmon he possessed are listed as a threatened species under the ESA. Chinook have been off-limits to anglers in the Skagit since 1999.



A similar poaching incident occurred in 2001 when a Mount Vernon man was caught with a 40-pound chinook taken from the Skagit River. The man was fined $5,000 for violating the ESA, and his 16-foot custom-built fishing boat was seized.



The investigation into Kingma's activities was conducted by enforcement officers from WDFW and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office for Law Enforcement (NOAA OLE), and is an example of the ongoing joint enforcement efforts to protect fish species with federal ESA protection.



"Recreational anglers, commercial fishers and others have all made painful sacrifices over the years to reverse the downward spiral of weak salmon stocks, and Mr. Kingma's actions demonstrate a total disregard for those sacrifices," said WDFW Enforcement Chief Bruce Bjork. "Our ongoing partnership with NOAA OLE will help us protect fish and wildlife resources."



The ESA was passed by Congress in 1973 and is administered by NOAA OLE and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The act is designed to save species and their habitats when other efforts have failed. NOAA OLE is responsible for species that spend most of their lives in marine waters, including marine fish, salmon and most marine mammals.



Vicki Nomura, special agent in charge for the northwest region of NOAA Fisheries OLE, said the agency has appropriated more than $885,000 to WDFW for joint enforcement patrols over the next two years to protect and conserve marine resources.



"We will continue working with and through our state enforcement counterparts to prosecute serious actions taken by individuals and organizations that violate wildlife laws such as the Endangered Species Act," Nomura said.



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Happy New Year Mr. Kingma!!!!!!

$600.00 ......What a joke. If I was minded to poach, I'd look at that as a slap on the wrist for posession of that many fish. How about $600.00 per fish?

they must have checked his freezer or something cuz even for multiple rods, 18 coho and 7 chinook is a damn good day plunking.

I agree that $600 is a JOKE, just wait there should be more coming out about this.

Now this is just the tip of the ice-berg; there are a lot more guys/gals doing this on the Skagit!

In these days of chronically short revenues for the state, I doubt if any state lawmaker would look a gift horse in the mouth, and balk at a source of revenue. I would contact my representative, and suggest an increase in the fine amounts. With the backing of a sports fishing group, I would think it would be an easy sell to the legislature. raising the fines to 1, 000,00 per fish, would probably be a slam dunk. Besides sending a message to poachers, it would also show the legitimate sportsmen's concerns that fish and game laws be enforced, something we can all agree on.......I think. It would make for some good PR, and raise the level of awareness amongst non sporting types.

KK

Could you buy 18 wild coho and 7 wild chinook for $600 at QFC? using Avg weight of 10lbs for the coho and 15 for the nooks thats about $2 per lb.

You know what the worst part of the whole matter is if you dont have a yellow WDFW sticker on your car it is a 100 dollar fine and it is a 100 fine for fishing after dark that doesnt say much does it. I hope the guy gets fried.

I would disagree with 1k per fish....Maybe something like $500 per fish and something less for minors.
I do agree that this guy deserves to screw the pooch since he took so many and $600 is way low.

Ok, 500.00 it is then, with maybe an additional fine for over 2 illegal fish, or a repeat offender. All fish and game fine monies go the county in which the infraction occured, if I understood the gamies on the Bogy a week or so ago. So county governments would probably support a change in the fine structure also.

KK

You know there are times when you legitimately screw up and $500 seems somewhat steep. I'd say $250 a fish for the first four fish. That covers more tha just slap on the hands to the guy that read the regs wrong and blew it. Still a fine but not a life altering event. Then if you have more than 4 fish go to $1000 a fish, loss of personal vehicle, vessel, and remove all fishing/hunting rights in the state for a periond of 7 years. Second infraction, $1000 a fish for all fish retained loss of all properties minus the house and permenant loss of hunting/fishing. Radio tagged for five years. That seems reasonable to me.

The interesting thing about this is that the state law says they can charge him up to $4000 per ESA listed fish. So why only $600? That is simply a slap on the wrist!

Let me get this straight, the guy in 2001 keeps one fish and gets a $5000 dollar fine and his boat taken away, and this low life scum-bag bunches of fish and lots of rods and gets a fine of $600. If I was the first guy I would take the state to court for favoritism. The in-equalities of this state simply amaze me....

Read the release through. Federal charges are yet to be filed. That'll be the major whack, just like the other guy.

SalmonBelly has it right... y'all ain't seen nothin' yet!

Hang em' high!!!!! The first thing I would have done was to get search warrant for the guy's freezer....You know that he was no casual poacher...

You seldom see that type excess outside of a tribal fishery....!

It boggles the mind to think of how sick some people are. I hope he get nailed with the next round of charges!

like i said in the other post, the tribes do this and its ok, im not saying what he did was right, but there isnt equality when it comes to sport fishers and tribal fishers who break the law..

As far as I am concerned the guy who did this is a scumbag along with the worst criminals in the system. I don't care how upstanding he is or isn't in the rest of his life. People who aren't scumbags don't harvest threatened or endangered species.
Here is what should happen to this guy..

Everything he used in this crime should be taken from him.. His fishing gear, his vehicle and everything in his vehicle or on his person.
If the fish was taken to his home then his home should be taken. He should never agian be allowed to fish or hunt in the state of Washington. and the fine should be 50,000 dollars per offence...

don't care what affect this has on him or his family. he lost all right to complain about such things when he dicided to become a criminal scumbag who doesn't deserve any consideration.

come on guys yes it is bad that this guy did this and he should be punished severely, but how many of those esa kings get killed by gill nets? I would like to see a press release from the wdfw everytime the swinomish accidently catch some of them in there nets? what a joke.