Five dipnetters cited at Kenai personal use fishery for recordkeeping violation

Five people were cited at the Kenai personal use dipnet fishery on July 18 for the same violation: failing to record fish caught during a personal use fishery. Each faces $120 bail in Kenai District Court. The citations were issued by Tok Wildlife Troopers and posted by the Alaska Department of Public Safety on July 19. As with all charges reported in these notices, the allegations are accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The five cited individuals are Thomas Hardwick, 71, of Anchorage; Jakob Blees, 27, of Anchorage; Dana Murphy, 55, of Anchorage; Andrew Laughlin, 43, of Anchorage; and Shelby Daniels, 32, of Wasilla.

The Rule

Alaska Department of Fish and Game regulations require salmon to be recorded in ink immediately upon harvest, which the agency defines as before the fish is concealed or transported. "The salmon must be recorded on the permit before it is concealed from plain view, such as put in a cooler, or before the salmon is transported from the fishing site," ADF&G's permit regulations state. "Failure to record the salmon on the permit is a violation, and may be subject to fines and loss of future personal use fishing privileges."

Five citations for the same violation on a single day underscores what Alaska Wildlife Troopers have identified as one of the most common mistakes at the Kenai personal use fishery: not recording or marking fish before concealing them. The Kenai dipnet season runs through July 31.