The Alaska Wildlife Troopers don't discriminate against any group, says the agency's director, Col. Jim Cockrell, in this column published in the Homer News.
Cockrell wrote the column in response to a letter from some Bristol Bay driftnetters alleging enforcement bias against "Russian" boats.
crybabies!you troopers do a good job especially in that fisherie!
ReplyDeleteif so many Russians did not blatantly fish over the line, during closed periods ect. then they would not get so much flak.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather they set over or at least on the line rather than 50' inside.
ReplyDeleteHey guys, don't fish over the line don't get a ticket. Pretty simple huh.
ReplyDelete4 tickets in one day for one of the guys. That could probably be a b bay record.I don't understand what they are complaining about. Just stay legal and don't go over the line.Simple as that. The discrimination occurs if they go easy on the lawbreakers.
ReplyDeleteThe Russian communities have come a long ways since their separatist beginnings and many have integrated well into society. There are however still a great number that feel the law does not apply to them. Their reputation of being shady, illegal fisherman did not come about by chance.
ReplyDeletefour tickets in one day??? maybe its time for a take back of these permit when the law is broken that blatantly.Just think no buy back tax,No duel permits(lose two permits). The owner of the confiscated permit can become a crew member cleaning the bilge, instead of the screaming on the flying bridge!Permit goes back to the state and become a inter-in permit for some local .Problems solved!
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'm glad that Wildlife Protection discriminates - at least towards those who think they can operate in a different "district" than everyone else....
ReplyDeleteTrust me, they didn't go easy on anyone in this case. Dual permit holders got wacked double time. I heard some paying out $4000 for each permit. It is a bit discouraging that most of the guys busted aren't even habitual "line" fishermen, but that's how it goes when you push your luck and go over.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting to see how many will jump to conclusions without reading up on the facts or asking for evidence. If any of you had seen the video of the "enforcement operations" that Col. James E. Cockrell is writing about in his response to the complaint that he calls "erroneous allegations", you would know that the Col. is trying his best to cover up the truth about what is actually IN the video (Notice that he never even mentioned the video in his reply). I've seen it. Mr. Cockrell writes a lot about everything, EXCEPT about the fact that the complaints stemmed strictly because of this video which the Troopers apparently never expected would surface. I suggest to you all to watch that video first before making fools of yourselves in pre-judgement. As the video goes on, you will see that there where a lot of boats fishing "over-the-line". BUT, the only boats called out by NAME in this video where the "Russian" boats (more than once). Meanwhile, the cameraman zoomed in and out away from the others without reading their boat names. Integrity, my Butt. Fact is, the crybabies are the ones who called the Troopers in the first place. Line-fighting in Bristol Bay is common. If you can't take it, let the real men fight. Go fish inside somewhere. Don't call your Mommy (in this case, the Troopers). You know how it goes-Can't take the heat, stay away from the kitchen. Bottom line- We need authority. But only authority with ACTUAL integrity.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the difference you fished over the line and you got busted. Quit worrying/whining about what did or did not happen to the other law breakers. You say "Line-fighting in Bristol Bay is common. If you can't take it, let the real men fight. Go fish inside somewhere. Don't call your Mommy (in this case, the Troopers). You know how it goes-Can't take the heat, stay away from the kitchen" You should follow your own advise. Can't take the heat, stay away from the kitchen and when you get busted take it like a man!
ReplyDeleteplease post a link to the video if its on the net? I cannot find it currently...
ReplyDeleteI saw it! WHA WHA WHA . Ya know a " RUSSIAN" Boat when you see it.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah: A Russian boat looks like the TERMINATOR Say the year 2000. With a big hole in the port side and a ten year old Puking over the side. Still makes me Laugh!
ReplyDeleteMaybe they kept calling out the names of repeat offenders. Guys troopers know personally from previous years. Those specific guys just happen to be Russian. Pay the fine, you know what it'll cost you. I bet that one big ticket doesn't even beginnnn to cover the other days you fished over the line. Pay up and shut up.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think we all need to look at the video. Wes can you actually investigate and obtain this for your reporting??
ReplyDeleteLots of suspiciously inaccurate info in Co. Cockrell's report/letter. For instance, Gibbens/Day violation reported included on 7/18 in the letter, but CFEC database does not have a Gibbens/Day dual permit holder (try Gibbons/Santo) and DPS dispatch report (for 7/31) states that Gibbons was cited on 7/20 not 7/18. Same DOS dispatch states Gregory Day was cited on 7/19. Too many inaccuracies for anyone to trust what is being reported in my opinion.
Also I don't understand the late tickets for 2012 behavior. Is this a pattern of police behavior to expect in the future years, See Chignik tickets issued Nov. 2013 for 2012 fishing reported.
It is not fair to either the charged individual(s) or the rest of the fishing fleet. It is a police ambush years after best evidence is perhaps gone, i.e., doesn't give the fisherman any notice or opportunity to gather contemporaneous evidence to help prove their innocence. What if you had a bad GPS and you thus when over the line multiple times and then a year later get 3 tickets. If the trooper had given a citation on day of first violation, bad GPS could be discovered and rectified.
And, if there isn't any exculpatory evidence that could have been gathered at or near the time of the alleged crime, then the police delay is extremely unfair to those 2013 fishermen who had to once again compete with those fishermen that perhaps should not have been allowed to fish in 2013.
Bad policy for DPS and the Troopers to perpetuate, and it needs to end. If Troopers see criminal fishing activity, they should charge and issue summons as soon as possible.... not weeks, months, or years later.
Back to the immediate report.... I to have witnessed some discriminatory behavior by the Troopers in Bristol Bay. Like when a "local" broke his tow line twice within the same tide and drifted over the line, only to receive a warning, but when the "non-local" inadvertently drifted over the line resulted in an immediate ticket!
Maybe its time legislatures should look into some of what is being written? Wes can you look into something further than just linking to the facts and letting others comment. Get us the video, find out who made the video, and let's see for ourselves what happened on 7/18 on the bluff of Ugashik. Let's validate the Director's response, cause there are several inaccuracies within the letter. There is more to this blog headline.
fishing over the line is no different then someone walking up to me with a gun and stealing my wallet. Those who continue to say it is just "part of the game" and romanticize the cowboy style are no better that school yard bullies and teenage felons. There is big money involved. I have watched a small percentage of fisherman dominate the line fishery for years. New boats and hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen from fisherman that were raised with some moral fiber.
ReplyDeletePerhaps an electronic monitoring system that is fool proof and will level the playing field.
Charging canneries for purchasing stolen property.