|
|||||
|
|
||||||
During the execution of a search warrant, a truck leaving the Quality Lake Fish facility was
seized and found to have 1,600 pounds of unlawfully possessed walleye and 400 pounds of
unlawfully possessed eel. Walleye cannot be taken for commercial purposes and eels from Lake
Ontario cannot be commercialized because they are contaminated.
The complaint against Porter alleges that he was trafficking in walleye and eels taken from Lake Ontario with the intent of distributing them for sale in Canada.
"This undercover investigation is another example of the fine work our Bureau of Conservation Investigation and our Environmental Conservation Officers do to protect New York's natural resources," said DEC Acting Commissioner John P. Cahill. During the execution of the search warrants Tuesday, fish and records were seized from the business locations of the following: Richard V. Goodfriend, of Brownville; Lawrence Comins, commonly known as Chaumont Sports Shop, Chaumont; Quality Lake Fish Company, also known as K.E.M.I. Enterprises, Inc., West Monroe; and Robert P. McDougall, Chaumont.
|
"DEC Investigator Stephen Canfield gained employment at Quality Lake Fish under an assumed
identity as part of the investigation. The lead investigator on the case was James Masuicca."
Reprinted Courtesy NYDEC
"Operation Neptune," a two-year undercover investigation by the New York State Department
of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today resulted in the arrest of a Canadian man for illegal
commercial trafficking in fish and wildlife.
DEC investigators and uniformed Environmental Conservation Officers on Tuesday executed
five search warrants at four DEC-licensed commercial fishermen's facilities in the Chaumont
Bay area of Lake Ontario and a fish processor in West Monroe, Oswego County, known as
Quality Lake Fish.
Arrested was Michael A. Porter, 28, of 5 Spring Street, Picton, Ontario, Canada, for illegal
commercial trafficking in fish and wildlife in violation of federal law.
Federal law, commonly
referred to as the Lacey Act, makes it illegal for any person to participate in the interstate sale
and purchase of fish and wildlife if the commercial harvesting of those fish and wildlife are
illegal under state law.
|
|||||
18 percent of the population 16 and older fished during 1996
Total expenditures by anglers and hunters rose 69 percent during the 5-year period to $67.9 billion. Spending by anglers rose
47 percent to $36.2 billion from $24.6 billion in 1991 while hunters spent $17.7 billion, up 75 percent from $10.1 billion in
1991. The remaining expenditures could be attributed to whether hunting or fishing.
In all, 18 percent of the population 16 and older fished during 1996, 7 percent hunted, and 31 percent participated in
nonconsumptive wildlife-related recreation, the study showed.
"Millions of Americans have made hunting, fishing, birdwatching, and other wildlife-related recreation an important part of their
lives," Rogers said. "This year's survey confirms that Americans have a national love affair with wild places and wild creatures."
More complete preliminary data will be available this summer followed by a final national report in November. State-by-state
reports will be released from November through March 1998.
|
 The survey, which is conducted for the Service by the U.S. Census Bureau, is part of preliminary data from the Nation's most comprehensive survey on this subject, conducted every 5 years by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The number of hunters and anglers 16 years and older stayed relatively constant during the past 5 years. There were 35.2 million anglers in 1996 compared with 35.6 million in 1991. Likewise, there were 14 million hunters compared with 14.1 million in 1991. Overall, the number of anglers and hunters fell slightly to 39.7 million from 40 million in 1991. As part of the survey, the Census Bureau initially screened 80,000 households. From this, the bureau chose 28,000 sportsmen and -women and 14,400 nonconsumptive participants 16 years and older for detailed surveys throughout the year.
|
|||||
 USFWS Press Releases Gene Bucks Fisheries SummariesSea Grant News |
 EXOTICS UPDATE | BASIN REPORT | PENDING ISSUES | REGIONAL REPORTS | GREAT LINKS | HOT NEWS | 
|