460+ pounds of poached salmon donated to Michigan families
Tuesday in Manistee County, an angler approached Michigan DNR Conservation Officers Scott MacNeill (left) and Josiah Killingbeck about a group of people illegally fishing the Manistee River, near Tippy Dam in Dickson Township. The officers retrieved
MANISTEE COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Manistee County families received donations of salmon after fishermen from Colorado poached 463 pounds of the fish from a Michigan river.
According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, an angler told conservation officers Tuesday about a group using illegal methods and equipment to take fish from the Manistee River, near the Tippy Dam in Dickson Township.
When officers Josiah Killingbeck and Scott MacNeill found the group, several people tried to break off their fishing lines to hide their illegal equipment.
"There is a large amount of coho and Chinook salmon running the local rivers this time of year, attracting anglers from across the country to be a part of one of Michigan’s finest fishing adventures," said the DNR’s Sgt. Grant Emery. "While we’ve seen a decrease in illegal fishing activity over the years, unfortunately, we still run into illegal and unconventional methods."
The DNR said the group did not have valid fishing licenses, was using illegal tackle, and possessed 17 salmon taken by an illegal method.
After, the group took the officers to their vehicles in the parking lot, where they had an additional 40-50 fish in coolers. Some fish had already been filleted. If properly licensed, the group legally would have been allowed to possess 30 fish.
"It’s a shame that this group invested so much time and money to travel all the way to Michigan only to illegally take these salmon, a valuable, public natural resource," Emery said. "We are grateful for the angler who approached Killingbeck and MacNeill, which allowed them to recover the fish with enough time to safely donate to local families in need."
Read more stories from around Michigan here.
Members of the group were cited for using illegal methods to take an over limit of salmon and fishing without a fishing license. Combined, they face more than $4,630 in restitution and additional costs.
They have until Oct. 21 to contact the 85th District Court in Manistee County for arraignment. The DNR is not releasing their names since they have not been arraigned.