Prineville couple on the hook for $1400 after illegally selling crab in Hermiston


by OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Staff
6-10-2021
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HERMISTON, Ore. — A Prineville couple has been sentenced to pay $1200 in restitution after illegally selling recreationally caught crab on the commercial market. The incident showcases the importance of consumers knowing that the fish and shellfish they buy are legally harvested and handled as a food product.

Gerald and Shawna Wilson of Prineville will also pay $100 each to the Turn In Poachers (TIP) Line fund, and they are prohibited from obtaining a fishing or shellfish license for three years. OSP Fish and Wildlife troopers began an investigation after receiving a call on the TIP Line reporting crab advertised for sale on Facebook. Investigators followed up on the lead, and discovered the couple selling live or cooked crab via social media.

The couple listed the crab as free of charge, but with a suggested donation of $11 per pound to skirt marine fisheries laws that prohibit people from selling their personal limits of crab and other marine life on the commercial market, according to law enforcement. At least 11 people purchased the crab through Facebook or other social media, according to Lincoln County District Attorney Kenneth Park, who prosecuted the case in May of 2021.

“This was a good resolution,” Park said. “We charged for criminal negligence.” He emphasized the importance of consumers knowing where their seafood is sourced.

“If you see it online, and it is not a commercial operation, you are probably looking at illegal crab,” he said.

Bob Browning, an Oregon commercial crabber, is glad the case was solved and prosecuted.

“When you don’t have to play by the rules, you can sell products cheaper,” Browning said, “But people who purchase that (illegal) crab are also missing out on consumer protections like hazard plans and food handling regulations.”

The Stop Poaching Campaign educates the public on how to recognize and report poaching. This campaign is a collaboration among hunters, conservationists, land owners and recreationists. Our goal is to increase reporting of wildlife crimes through the TIP Line, increase detection by increasing the number of OSP Fish and Wildlife Troopers and increase prosecution. Oregon Hunters Association manages the TIP reward fund. This campaign helps to protect and enhance Oregon’s fish and wildlife and their habitat for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Contact campaign coordinator Yvonne Shaw for more information. [email protected].




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OR Department of Fish & Wildlife Reports
for Wednesday, June 9th, 2021

Coast Fork Willamette River: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 1,000 Legal-Size Rainbow Trout
Junction City Pond: There Will Be Construction Work on the Junction City Pond Parking Lot Between June 16 and June 18
Leaburg Lake: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 800 Legal-Size Rainbow Trout
McKenzie River: Will Be Stocked Again This Week With 1,000 Legal-Size Trout
Crane Prairie Reservoir: Anglers Report Fair Fishing With Catch Rates Picking Up over The Last Couple Weeks
Davis Lake: Water Is Low and It May Be Difficult to Launch a Bigger Boat
Deschutes River: Anglers Report Fair Fishing in The Mornings and Evenings
Fall River: The River Will Be Stocked Again With Rainbow Trout This Week
Hosmer Lake: Anglers Report Good Fishing
Odell Lake: Anglers Report Fair Fishing For Kokanee and Good Fishing For Lake Trout
Paulina Lake: Anglers Report Good Fishing For Kokanee and Brown Trout
Three Creek Lake: Anglers Report Good Fishing
Wickiup Reservoir: Five Kokanee Per Day in Addition to Daily Trout Limit
McNary Channel Ponds: About 2,000 Legal and 100 Trophy Trout Will Be Stocked This Week
Umatilla River: Steelhead Fishing Is Closed and Will Not Open Until Sept. 1
Willow Creek Reservoir: There Will Be 750 Trophy Trout Stocked This Week
Kilchis River: Trout Fishing in Streams Opened on May 22
Miami River: Trout Fishing in Streams Opened on May 22
Nehalem River: Not Much Going on This Time of Year on The Nehalem
Siletz River: A Few Summer Steelhead and Spring Chinook are Starting To Show up
Tillamook Bay: Spring Chinook Fishing on Tillamook Bay Remained on the Slow Side of Fair This Past Week
Trask River: The Trask Continued to Be Fair For Spring Chinook
Wilson River: Fishing on The Wilson Remains Slow
Agate Lake: Agate Lake Is At 72 Percent Capacity
Emigrant Reservoir: Bass Fishing Has Really Picked Up in The Last Few Weeks
Fish Lake : Fish Lake Has Been Fishing Very Good
Rogue River- Upper: The Hatchery Hole is Closed to All Fishing Through July 31
Beulah Reservoir: Fishing Has Been Good For Rainbow Trout
Campbell Reservoir: The Reservoir is Partly on BLM Property and Remains Open
Upper Klamath Lake: Water Clarity Continues to Improve and the Algae Bloom Continues to be Very Light
Lake Of The Woods: Lake of The Woods Was Heavily Stocked With Trophy and Legal Rainbow Trout
Miller Lake: Miller Lake is Accessible
Owyhee Reservoir: Bass Fishing Has Been Good Recently
Owyhee River: There Are Still Plenty of Large Brown and Rainbow Trout Available
Sprague River: Fishing is Fair For Redband Trout With and Occasional Brown Trout
North Fork Sprague River: Fishing Is Slow For Brook Trout, Redband Trout and and the Occasional Large Brown Trout
Warm Springs Reservoir: Fishing For Smallmouth Bass Has Been Heating Up Recently
Williamson River: Williamson River Fishing Update