Alaska Wildlife Troopers issue 13 citations across Bristol Bay in 10-day enforcement push

Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited commercial fishers across Bristol Bay's Egegik and Nushagak districts for closed-period, closed-waters, and gear violations between June 26 and July 1, issuing 13 citations during the densest enforcement stretch of the 2026 sockeye season so far. The citations came as Bristol Bay's commercial season, which opens by regulation June 1, is running against a forecast inshore sockeye run of about 44.1 million fish, with a potential surplus of 32.3 million.

The most serious charges involve fishing closed waters, fishing during closed periods, and waste of salmon. Two Kodiak fishers were cited June 27 in the Nushagak District for closed-period fishing and waste of salmon. A Homer fisher was cited June 29 for fishing closed waters in the same district. Closed-period and closed-waters citations followed in both districts through July 1. Gear and identification violations, including an overlength gillnet, failure to report a lost net, and missing vessel ID, filled out the rest of the log. Defendants come from Alaska communities and from Washington, Minnesota, and other Lower 48 states.

The 13 citations break down across 12 separate incidents: seven in the Nushagak District and five in the Egegik District, including Egegik Bay. The Nushagak cases cover closed-period fishing (Andrey Martushev, June 27; Joseph Sukalski and Michael Gibbs, July 1), closed-waters fishing (Ivan Basargin, June 29; Natasha Mann, June 27), closed-period fishing and waste of salmon (Brian Dierich and Ty Anderson, June 27), and failure to report a lost net (Steffen Refvik and Brandon Anderson, June 30). The Egegik cases cover closed-period fishing (Logan C. Jungkuntz, June 27; Caleb Jordan Johnson and Nikita Sergeevich Lutoshkin, July 1), an overlength gillnet (Naomi Lynn Veal, June 29), a vessel number plate and CFEC tab violation (Mark Robert Peterson, July 1), a permit-card ID violation (Frederik Stevenson Munro, June 28), and a crewmember license violation (Lyle Wayne Ashouwak, June 26).

Three of the 13 cases were resolved by bail rather than arraignment: $100 for failure to display a vessel number plate and CFEC tab, $300 for a permit-card holder lacking government ID, and $250 for a crewmember license violation. The remaining defendants are scheduled for arraignment at Naknek District Court and Dillingham District Court on dates between Aug. 3 and Aug. 6. Nushagak District defendants appear Aug. 3 (Martushev; Dierich and Ty Anderson) or Aug. 4 (Basargin; Mann; Sukalski and Gibbs; Refvik and Brandon Anderson). Egegik District defendants appear Aug. 5 (Jungkuntz; Johnson and Lutoshkin) or Aug. 6 (Veal). All charges are accusations. Defendants are presumed innocent.