Target poachers to help fish, budget

On Saturday, I was at one of my favorite spots on the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River. I found the carcasses of six fish which must have been caught sometime during the night. In the larger picture of crime in Snohomish County, six fish may not seem like much, but this is only the tip of a much larger problem here in Washington.

These were wild fish, not hatchery fish. I followed the directions for reporting poaching, and coincidentally ran into a Snohomish County parks person who was there to empty the trash. She told me that this is a constant problem on the river, all the way to the mouth. She has seen people illegally netting and snagging fish at night and had seen “buckets” of fish caught by poachers. Due to budget cuts, there is apparently only one state fish and wildlife agent for the entirety of Snohomish County.

It seems to me that the Department of Fish and Wildlife is shooting itself in the foot by cutting agents. By not enforcing or even having the ability to enforce the laws, more and more poachers will be emboldened to continue their ways. The more that wild fish are removed illegally, the greater the problem in sustaining the fish populations in the Stillaguamish, among other rivers. Some in the department have told me that many of the poachers not only are not licensed (surprise!) but are immigrants and do not speak the language. They look on this as “free food” for their families, or in bigger operations, sell to restaurants and fish markets.

Sport fishermen pay their fair share for the privilege of fishing on Washington waters. The state could utilize this money by catching and fining poachers and increasing their budgets. If you are a citizen and see suspicious activity on the rivers, call the police or WFDW hotline. The state spends millions of dollars operating hatcheries, and the loss of these wild fish could affect our own futures if fish populations continue to decline.

John A. Anderson

Marysville