Reporting Poaching and illegal catches
I know of what I believe is a ring of people illegally taking our natural resources here in Washington State, yet the WDFW seems powerless. They remind me of the cops in the movies who don't show up until after the crime has already been committed.
I handed them what I thought was a huge case involving people illegally harvesting everything from crab to squid, geoduck, smelt, and who knows what other species, yet nothing seems to happen. No seizure of trucks, boats, or other assets. These people appear to be making massive amounts of untaxed cash by selling catches under the table.
WWJD? I pray that the Lord gives me the strength to not shoot them in the act.
I'm being serious because crab season is about to start, followed by squid and smelt season, and it feels like I’m about to watch the same thing happen all over again. Just seeing it turns my stomach.
Some of these individuals were caught and had their licenses suspended (only for 2 years), yet they bought different boats, put on different gear/masks, and went right back to it.
How do I know? Because one of them tried to sell me illegal catch a while back. I've also watched the same people year after year do it. My family gets our legal limit and leaves, while they're still out there long after everyone else has gone home.
I swear this state and its lax enforcement are going to destroy the natural resources we have if something doesn't change.
This year, when the endangered Eulachon smelt returned to the river and recreational fishing was limited to just a short opening, my parents told me they saw the people filling what looked like hundreds of pounds of smelt and loading two pickup trucks. Yet no one stopped them. Had I been there, I would have called 911 immediately. My parents don’t want confrontation. 🤦🏻♂️
Seriously, we need to protect our waters. In my opinion, that includes investigating commercial smelt operations around Camano Island. Last year I observed what appeared to be commercial smelt harvesting on weekends. I reported it but couldn't catch them in the act, and the activity seemed to stop afterward.
The smelt population around Camano Island appears to be declining. Smelt are an incredibly important species because they feed salmon, seals, sea lions, whales, sharks, and many other fish and marine animals. If catches aren't being properly reported and fish are being sold for cash outside the legal system, that hurts everyone. I've even been asked if I wanted to buy crab and other seafood from said commercial fisher. I don’t even know why the neighbors of Camano Island tolerate him netting on their property?!
Over the last five years, I've noticed fewer and fewer smelt returning to those beaches. They don't seem to flood the shoreline the way they used to. That's deeply concerning.
I also don't understand why such a large commercial harvest limit exists for smelt across Washington. 60k metric tons??? That’s a lot! These fish will continue to decline, so we need stronger conservation measures before they end up in the same situation as Eulachon Smelt.
Sorry for the rant, but this is something I'm passionate about. As a kid, my dad took me to these beautiful places to enjoy nature and everything our waters have to offer. If we don't protect these resources now, there won't be much left for future generations.
Also this is something I’ve been wanting to get off my chest. Hopefully the right authorities see this and do something. We all have a duty as well to report this.
Thank you everyone! Happy fishing!