Three anglers have lost their fishing privileges for five years and three others may lose theirs as well for an October incident involving 74 steelhead and more than $5,500 in fines in Erie County.
The revocations were discussed Monday during the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission ’s Law Enforcement Committee meeting. It was held just before the agency's full board meeting where the revocations were approved, pending final appeals.
“Six individuals were involved with netting illegally 74 steelhead out of nursery waters and all six individuals were found guilty of not having fishing licenses, fishing in hatchery or nursery waters and being over the daily limit of steelhead,” Jeffrey Sabo, director of the Bureau of Law Enforcement, said.
The incident happened on Oct. 18 in Trout Run at Avonia Beach in Erie County. It is a narrow creek that is used by the agency for nursery waters and fishing is prohibited there. Anglers in the fall and winter are permitted to keep three trout a day where fishing is permitted.
“Obviously, 74 steelhead is a significant amount of fish to be taken from nursery waters and it’s being moved that they receive five-year revocations of their fishing licenses,” he said. Each of the six anglers received a $930 fine for a total fine of $5,580 for the incident.
Board president William Gibney said the anglers were from New York and were working together. He asked about having reciprocity with New York regarding removing their fishing licenses there as well. “If they receive a revocation in Pennsylvania will that affect their New York privileges?” he asked.
Sabo responded that it should carry over as both states are part of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact and he will move to have that enforced. Don Anderson, chair of the Law Enforcement Committee, said, “I think that would be a good thing to do. That sends a message out to people that we are serious about you coming to Pennsylvania to violate and if you get caught doing a major violation, you are going to lose your privileges, not just in Pennsylvania, but practically in every state in the nation.”
The incident isn’t the only situation where anglers lost their license privileges last fall for fishing in the nursery waters for steelhead.
During the agency’s April meeting, the board revoked the fishing privileges for six other nonresident anglers for five years who were also fishing illegally in the steelhead nursery waters in two separate incidents. An incident on Sept. 24 involved four people who caught 24 fish. They each paid $1,616 in penalties.
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The second incident on Oct 15 involved two men who caught 15 steelhead in the closed waters. They each paid $1,989 in fines.
“We’re constantly looking at ways to improve our enforcement efforts in Erie,” Sabo said. “It’s kind of like a catch-22. It’s such a great fishery and the fish are there. Unfortunately, with the fish being there it creates an attraction for, unfortunately, illegal activity,” Sabo said.
The waterway is monitored by a public webcam that’s used by the angling public to monitor the conditions of the creek and Lake Erie.
Permanent access on Crooked Creek
In other steelhead matters on Monday, the agency’s board approved the acquisition of a property easement area in Girard Township, Erie County, on the David Lee and Constance Ann Sedler property. Under the proposed agreement, the PFBC will pay $85,000 for approximately 5,420 linear feet along Crooked Creek. The agency reports Crooked Creek provides significant steelhead fishing opportunities in the area and the private owners in this area have allowed public fishing.
“Going forward this will be open for public access into the future, indefinitely,” Renae Kulk Kiehl, chief counsel for the agency, said.
Parking areas are proposed to be located off Lexington and Glosky roads. Funding will be provided from proceeds of the purchase of special Lake Erie fishing permits and combination trout/Lake Erie fishing permits.
New PFBC president
The agency’s board also voted for a new president and vice president. The board elected Daniel Pastore of Fairview, Erie County, as president. Pastore, who served as vice president, replaces William Gibney of Honesdale, Wayne County.
"It has been an honor to represent the board in the northwest region and I am humbled for the opportunity to now serve as president,” Pastore said.
Pastore shared several of his goals for the coming year, including finalizing the PFBC's Trout Management Plan, obtaining additional public access to our waterways, improving partnerships with our fellow wildlife and conservation agencies, simplifying fishing and boating regulations, and improving overall customer service.
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John Mahn Jr. of Washington County was elected as vice president. Mahn replaces Pastore as vice president. Both Pastore and Mahn will serve one-year terms through July 2025. Gibney will remain on the board representing District 7 in northeastern Pennsylvania.
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on this website's homepage under your login name. Follow him on Facebook @whipkeyoutdoors .
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: 6 anglers found guilty of netting 74 steelhead, public easement approved for Crooked Creek
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