Colorado men caught poaching 463 pounds of salmon from Michigan river
Six men from the Denver metro area were cited and fined last month for illegally fishing 463 pounds of coho and Chinook salmon from the Manistee River in Michigan last fall.
The men pleaded guilty to taking fish by an illegal method and owe the state more than $6,600 in fines, costs and restitution, according to a press release from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
The men - Agustin Barrera, 29, of Denver; David Cobaxin, 48, of Denver; Alfredo Hernandez, 56, of Denver; Gregorio Hernandez, 49, of Aurora; Leonel Lopez, 38, of Aurora; and Raul Lopez, 37, of Aurora - were caught the second week of October when conservation officers patrolling the river were tipped off by another angler near the Tippy Dam.
The conservation officers reported seeing members of the Colorado group cutting their fishing lines as the patrol boat approached them. Despite that effort, the officers were able to confirm the group was using illegal tackle and did not have valid fishing licenses.
Seventeen illegally caught salmon were found riverside, according to the press release. Members of the group then led officers back to the group's vehicles. There, officers found an additional 40-50 fish in coolers. Some of the fish had already been filleted.
The group, if properly licensed, legally would have been allowed to possess 30 fish total, the press release stated.
The total amount of illegal fish in the group's possession weighed 463 pounds. Nearly all of it was donated to local families in need.
"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," stated Michigan 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."
"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 added.
Each of the six men owed more than $1,100 each to the state as a result of the fines.