Snake River Sturgeon Poaching - Looking for Answers

Two different reports of sturgeon being poached along the Snake River below CJ Strike Reservoir have Fish and Game officers looking for answers. The public's help is also being sought. In the last two weeks, the Fish and Game Nampa office has received two different reports of large sturgeon being landed, loaded into vehicles and spirited away by their captors. While sturgeon fishing is allowed on this stretch of the Snake River, it is strictly catch and release. Because of their fragile, cartilaginous bodies, rules prohibit even removing sturgeon from the water. Investigations continue into both incidents, with officers finding suspected "kill sites" where the fish were landed. "We've collected some great evidence at this time, and are closing in on some suspects," Fish and Game conservation officer Kurt Stieglitz noted. "But we would be very interested in visiting with anyone who has information regarding these or other possible sturgeon poaching incidents along the Snake River." Citizens Against Poaching (CAP) is offering a reward for information in both cases and callers can remain anonymous. Contact CAP at 1-800-632-5999 twenty four hours a day. In addition to the CAP hotline, persons with information regarding these cases may also contact the Fish and Game Nampa office at 208-465-8465 weekdays and Idaho State Police at 208-846-7550 on weekends.