Sturgeon Poaching Reward Doubled

The poaching of two mature sturgeon from the Snake River in recent weeks has raised the ire of the Western Whitewater Association. "We were outraged," member Tim Palmer said. "We as members have enjoyed that resource, caught these fish, released these fish for generations&and it is a travesty." The group is channeling its outrage into action by contributing $1000 -- $500 for each fish -- to the Citizens Against Poaching reward fund. Along with other donations and the standard CAP reward of $500 (doubled on the first sturgeon), there is now $2,000 available for rewards on the first sturgeon and $1,000 on the second one. The reward will be paid for information leading to the citation or arrest of those responsible, conviction is not necessary. Besides contributing with their wallets, the association's members will also be on the lookout for suspicious activity. "We have 600 members of our group that are out there and we are aware&and we are going to be very diligent in paying attention to what is going on now," member Ron Garrett said. A sturgeon head believed to have come from a fish between 40 and 60 years old was found earlier this month dumped just off Interstate 84 east of Mountain Home. Last month, witnesses reported seeing two men catch a nine-foot long sturgeon below Swan Falls Dam, load it into an older Ford pickup and drive off with it. Fish and Game officials do not know if the incidents are connected but they are concerned about possible motives. "Some people are poaching for meat, some people are poaching for their ego," Resident Fisheries Coordinator Fred Partridge said. "But there's additional value in caviar and there's some concern there could be some black market harvesting of sturgeon looking for caviar." Anyone with information is urged to call the poaching hotline at 1-800-632-5999.