Six Homer residents cited in Bristol Bay enforcement push, including three Basargins

Five Homer residents face arraignment in Dillingham this August after Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited them for commercial fishing violations during the Bristol Bay Salmon Enforcement Program, with a sixth Homer resident scheduled at the same court on the same date for violations in the Wood River Special Harvest Area.

The cluster stands out in a batch of 18 enforcement notices reviewed, spanning multiple states and Alaska communities. No other single community produced as many defendants in this reviewed batch of notices.

All six face charges only and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

The Citations

Foma Reutov, 44, was cited July 4 for fishing in closed waters in the Nushagak District. Ian Pitzman, 57, was cited June 30 for fishing during a closed period in the same district. Maxim Martushev, 30, was cited July 3 for vessel identification and gillnet violations in the Wood River Special Harvest Area, within the Nushagak District.

The Basargin surname appears three times across two separate incident reports. Selivan Basargin, 23, was cited July 2 for a gillnet violation in the Nushagak District. Two days later, Dimitry Basargin, 21, and Kliment Basargin, 19, were cited in the same district for fishing during a closed period and a gillnet violation. The incident reports do not establish a relationship among the three, and troopers have not said whether they were operating together.

Context

A Bristol Bay Native Corporation research paper noted that Bristol Bay has seen the largest absolute drop in Alaska Native permit holders of any region in the state, a trend that makes enforcement patterns and permit-holder conduct consequential for who retains access to the fishery over time.

Alaska Wildlife Troopers have described the enforcement push as routine compliance work under the Bristol Bay Salmon Enforcement Program, which monitors closed waters, closed periods, and gear rules across the Nushagak, Egegik, and Ugashik districts.

Arraignment Schedule

Five of the six defendants, Foma Reutov, Ian Pitzman, Maxim Martushev, Dimitry Basargin, and Kliment Basargin, are scheduled for arraignment at Dillingham District Court on August 4. The remaining Homer defendant, Selivan Basargin, is scheduled for August 3.