Homing device may lead to fine

[Oren]

"BETHEL ? A Vermont fisherman who caught a 9.5-pound salmon captured something else, too ? a homing device that ended up leading authorities to the illegally-taken fish in his freezer."

Oops...

[Ed Pawlowski]

If he knew and took the fish anyway, he should get a big fine. Many of us would have had no clue though, and just taken the fish. In that case, cut him a break.

[Bob F]

Being too stupid to identify a fish you catch would rarely be a justification for breaking the law.

[HeyBub]

While ignorance of the law is no excuse, ignorance of the facts is.

Unless the state can show he SHOULD have known the fish was protected, he's off the hook (unlike the fish).

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip- Man-- the differences between Brown Trout and salmon are pretty subtle. I can see how he might be fooled-- but I'm with you- no excuse. Pay up buddy.

In the field, with just one fish- I think I'd have to go with the poorly arranged teeth on the roof of the mouth of the Brown. Now-- If I just caught the biggest fish of my life, was fishing for Brown's- and caught what I thought *was* one, would I think to check his dental work? Probably not.

Jim

[Jim Elbrecht]

Yeah-- It isn't immediately clear in that article, but the problem wasn't that the fish had a device in it-- The problem was that it was a Salmon-- not a Brown.

This article is a little better-

And points out that he was with an 'outfitter' - not sure exactly what that means in VT-- but if I was paying someone to help me fish &

*they* didn't point out that I had to toss that beauty back-- I'd be a little upset.

Jim

[Charlie]

If this fish was so important to the state it should have had a visible tag that alerted the unwary. I have caught tagged fish that were ok to keep but asked for a report about size and whereabouts.

It just seems to me that the biologists running this test/experiment /study should have been more careful about protecting this fish.

Especially as it was one of two specimens. And a variety that could have been misidentified.

Sounds like a case of professional negligence.

Charlie

[Jim Elbrecht]

-snip-

It wasn't *the fish*. It is the species. Atlantic salmon are catch & release in VT. [or were when this was caught anyway.] The burden is on the fisherman to properly identify a species.

When I was a kid I wasn't sure of a surefire way to tell a big Rock Bass [an unprotected species] from a smaller Largemouth Bass. [had to be 12" long] So I tossed any of those questionable ones back unless they were 12" & Bass season was open.

The introduction of an 'outfitter' is what bothers me in that account. The outfitter apparently saw the fish and knew the guy was keeping it- very publicly, BTW.

That would have been the easy thing for the state to do-- and maybe they would have learned even more about the fish in the process. But it doesn't excuse the fisherman for keeping a protected species.

Jim

[Harry K]

So you are advocating just not enforcing laws. That will sure cure the economy.

Harry K

[HeyBub]

Not enforcing the laws last week in the UK certainly caused a drain on the economy.

[Malcom "Mal" Reynolds]

seems more like it was "not obeying the law". Could hardly call using 16000 police in London as not enforcing the law

[Gordon Shumway]

Not being a fisherman I would like to ask a question. What are tax dollars being spent on tracking the mating habits of two salmon and the salaries of at least two fisheries biologists for?

[Charlie]

Jim, I am not condoning the guy keeping a fish that is a protected species. But if this one particular fish was part of an important experiment, it should have been adequately identified as such. If the guy had caught others that were not being tracked he would still be wrong but he would likely not have been apprehended. It's pretty hard to check everybody's catch. We have to depend on peoples integrity. Some have it others don't.

Here on the Florida SW gulf coast snook fishing as been in limbo for about a year and a half with another year to go. We had an unusual cold snap that set back the snook population. Catch and release is allowed. Release is the key word.

Charlie

[krw]

Sure, the state is now $1500 richer.

[krw]

Just wrap it in a newspaper and send it by USPS to Washington.

[ZW]

sure seems like -0jr is advocating not enforcing illegal immigration. but that must be ok.