Southeast salmon seiner forfeits boat for creek robbing

A commercial salmon seine fisherman from Klawock has to forfeit his boat, his catch and pay a fine for fishing too close to a salmon stream and other charges.

Curtiss Demmert, 32, was sentenced Jan. 10. He must pay a $32,728.79 fine and received 180 days of suspended jail time. He also has to forfeit to the state the Tlingit Lady, skiff, nets, fishing gear and electronics along with the money from that catch.

Demmert was charged after Alaska Wildlife Troopers received a report Sept. 13 that the 58-foot wooden limit seiner Tlingit Lady was fishing in a closed area in the headwaters of a bay on Dall Island in southern Southeast Alaska.

Troopers investigated and learned that the vessel had caught about 23,000 pounds of chum salmon about 65 miles into an area closed to fishing.

The area called Coco Harbor has been closed to commercial fishing for almost 30 years, according to the Department of Law.

The catch was sold to a tender and Demmert reported the catch came from a different area.

Officers seized the Tlingit Lady, its net and seine skiff along with proceeds from the catch, totaling $17,728.79.

Demmert pleaded guilty to charges of fishing during a closed period, fishing in closed waters, unlawful possession of fish and giving false information on a fish ticket.

Assistant Attorney General Aaron Peterson prosecuted the case and argued that Demmert’s actions put a salmon run in peril.

KFSK - Petersburg

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