Wisconsin DNR: Concludes multi-state probe into fish poaching

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Division of Pure Sources (DNR), together with the Michigan Division of Pure Sources and the Illinois Division of Pure Sources, concluded a multi-year regulation enforcement investigation into the poaching and over-harvesting of tons of of weak spawning lake whitefish from the Menominee River.

The multi-state investigation concluded with court-ordered seizures and rights revocations towards people from Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois.

Legislation enforcement officers from the Wisconsin and Michigan pure assets companies, with logistical assist from the Illinois division, teamed as much as observe confirmed violations on the favored border river between Menominee, Michigan and Marinette, Wisconsin.

Among the many violators, 11 have been from Illinois, with one from Michigan and one from Wisconsin. The investigation additionally discovered a lot of the people have been repeat violators.

“Our joint investigation discovered these violators have been organized, strategic and intentional,” stated DNR Marine Warden Jeff Lautenslager. “The lake whitefish on this river are significantly weak in the course of the late-year months. They congregate within the up-river methods in Wisconsin each fall for his or her annual spawn.”

All court docket proceedings for this case lately concluded. Twenty-nine citations have been issued, with 91 whitefish seized and confiscated by the court docket, which additionally ordered a complete of 24 years of rights revocation. The citations included exceeding the every day bag restrict of whitefish, deliberately snagging fish and failing to launch foul-hooked fish.

“The DNR wardens and investigators on this case stay hopeful the removing of those quite a few violators will make room for the authorized and moral people who take pleasure in viewing and legally fishing lake whitefish. The legal guidelines we have now are particularly to guard this valued and weak fish species,” Lautenslager stated. “Individuals who fish and revel in observing wildlife ought to know their state conservation officers typically work collectively to guard our assets and the individuals who take pleasure in them. We hope this case deters egregious and blatant violating of fishing legal guidelines.”

The case started in 2019 when wardens and officers turned conscious of those organized assaults on the lake whitefish. Officers from the three states joined forces and continued their centered investigation by means of 2020 into 2021, resulting in the court docket adjudication.

The investigation additionally led to a 2020 Michigan case wherein Michigan residents have been discovered to have shined and shot deer within the space whereas holding a flashlight of their mouth, killing deer at evening and searching deer with no license. Enforcement motion was taken by means of the Michigan court docket system on the instances.