Chinook Salmon Illegally Harvested Near Stanley

Idaho Fish and Game officers are currently investigating the illegal harvest of three protected chinook salmon. The filleted carcasses of three chinook were found washed onto the weir grates at the Sawtooth Hatchery outside of Stanley. The first fish was found on June 4th when hatchery employees were checking the weir. This fish was partially filleted and very fresh indicating that it had probably been harvested on June 3rd. The second two chinook were found in the same location on June 11th. Both had been fully filleted, and were also fresh enough to indicate recent harvest. The harvest of these three chinook salmon represents a flagrant violation of the closed season on these protected fish. There is currently no season for chinook salmon in the upper Salmon River. With chinook numbers in serious decline and projected salmon returns lower than predicted, the loss of even these three adult fish represents an important loss to the entire recovery effort. If you have any information about this wildlife crime, please contact Senior Conservation Officer Gary Gadwa at (208) 774-3321 or contact the Citizens Against Poaching hotline at (800) 632-5999. Remember, the illegal harvest of Idaho's wildlife is a crime against all Idaho's citizens.