- Joined
- Mar 11, 2001
- Messages
- 70,011
- Reaction score
- 1,003
News Release: For Immediate Release
May 9, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Fish and Game Busts 10 in Tri-State Sturgeon Poaching Investigation Called Delta Beluga
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts: Steve Martarano, DFG Information Officer; (916) 804-1714 Patrick Foy, DFG Information Officer (916) 825-7120; Sgt. Walt Markee, Oregon State Police, (503) 378-3387, ext. 255
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SACRAMENTO - A two-year joint federal and state investigation into a network of sturgeon poachers culminated with 10 arrests early Friday in the Sacramento area, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has announced. Three search warrants were served in Sacramento, and a state search warrant also was served in Oregon, officials said. Additional suspects may be arrested today pending the ongoing investigation.
Since March 2002, the DFG, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oregon State Police's Fish and Wildlife Division, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, have cooperated in a multi-jurisdictional covert investigation to identify and apprehend persons involved in the unlawful taking, possessing, transporting, and/or selling of sturgeon, or sturgeon parts, including caviar, in the states of Oregon, Washington, and California. Sturgeon is mostly poached for the caviar, called "roe" which is only found in females and sells for up to several hundred dollars per pound on the black market.
Included in the arrests were the mother and son team of Yuriy, 27, and Tamara, 51, Bugriyev, both of Fair Oaks. The pair had been under investigation by the DFG since January 2001 after they reportedly had solicited people to help sell sport caught sturgeon. They were observed purchasing and selling sturgeon almost a dozen times during the next two years, and were both taken to Sacramento County Jail early Friday morning.
(A complete list of those arrested will be made available throughout the day and at the scheduled news conference today in Sacramento detailed below).
"This was the largest operation we've ever conducted involving sturgeon," said DFG Assistant Chief Fred Cole, who added that 18 teams consisting of 43 DFG wardens and three USFW agents were involved in the California portion of the operation dubbed Delta Beluga. "This operation was very important because sturgeon is a species severely impacted by poaching. Because female sturgeon spawn only every four years, poaching targeting female sturgeon can have disastrous effects on the sturgeon populations."
Charges filed ranged from illegal possession of sturgeon to illegal sales. A suspect convicted of felony conspiracy to illegally take sturgeon is subject to a maximum fine of $15,000 fine and three years in state prison, Cole said. Each non-felony charge is subject to up to $15,000 fine and a year in county jail. That is in addition to loss of fishing privileges for life.
"The DFG has zero tolerance for the illegal commercialization of fish and wildlife resources," Cole said.
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is a fish species indigenous to the Sacramento River in California, and the Columbia River in Washington. The Kootenai population of white sturgeon in Idaho and Montana is federally listed as endangered. However, other white sturgeon populations in the Sacramento and Columbia rivers are not federally protected.
California does not allow for the commercial catch or sale of white sturgeon. Currently, fish can only be legally taken for sport between the sizes of 46 to 72 inches in length. In Oregon and Washington, commercial take of white sturgeon is allowed in the Columbia River during an open season with various size, gear and license restrictions. All three states prohibit the sale of sport-caught sturgeon, and the roe from sport-caught sturgeon.
White sturgeon is one of the most spectacular native species in the state. They live a long time - approximately 50 years or more - and grow to a size of 400 to 500 pounds and larger. Populations were severely depleted by unrestricted commercial fishing in the last two decades of the 1800s in both the Columbia and the Sacramento-San Joaquin systems and as a result, California imposed a total closure of the sturgeon fishery from 1916 until 1955. Since that time, sturgeon can only be taken through sport fishing regulated by a closely managed slot limit, which is currently one take/possession per day.
Sturgeon populations vary through time and are affected by drought conditions, long-term exposure to chemical contaminants, collisions with boat and ship propellers, and other causes. Populations peaked in the mid 1960s, the mid 1980s and the late 1990s. In 1997 the white sturgeon population was estimated at 147,000, probably the highest population since before 1900. The present population is estimated at 70,000 with a present annual harvest rate of 5 percent.
"There are a lot of factors involved, but probably the best reason for the present down cycle is weather and water use practices," said Dr. Perry Herrgesell, Chief of DFG's Central Valley Bay-Delta Branch. "The numbers do tend to fluctuate, but the recent dry years probably have had a big impact."
This investigation is the direct result of legitimate anglers giving their local wardens and the CalTIP program information about poachers who were blatantly disregarding the regulations imposed to protect the resources, said Cole. By contacting the 1-888-DFG-CALTIP number to report poachers and polluters, callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
=========================================
News Release: For Immediate Release
May 9, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DFG Takedown of Sturgeon, Caviar Poachers Involve Mother/Son Ringleaders
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts: Steve Martarano, DFG Information Officer, (916) 804-1714; Patrick Foy, DFG Information Officer (916) 825-7120; Troy Swauger, DFG Information Officer, (916) 768-0564;
Sgt. Walt Markee, Oregon State Police, (503) 378-3387, ext. 255
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens recovered equipment for the processing of caviar during a sturgeon poaching operation Friday that netted 10 suspects.
Suspects in custody include: Yuriy Stanislavovich Bugriyev, 28, and Tamara Andreyevna Bugriyev, 51, both of Fair Oaks; Elena Mazur, 44, of Citrus Heights; Rene Quijano Dinong, 43, and Elena Kharitonova, 36, both of Elk Grove; Moua Yang, 26, and Kee Xiong, 35, both of Sacramento; and Inna Rayz, 42, of Vacaville.
The eight suspects were involved in the unlawful take, possession, transport, and/or sale of sturgeon, or sturgeon parts, including caviar, across California, Oregon and Washington. Two others, including Achien Saephan, 21, and an unidentified man, were taken into custody on outstanding warrants.
All were booked into Sacramento County Jail.
Poachers most often target sturgeon, which has no legal commercial industry in California, for the roe, which is made into caviar. The illegal caviar can be sold at a hundred dollars per pound on the black market.
During Friday's operation, wardens confiscated approximately 25 pounds of illegal caviar, several undocumented salmon, two vehicles, two computers, and numerous cell phones in the coordinated raids. They also found canning jars, bowls and rock salt used in processing the roe into caviar.
Tamara and Yuriy Bugriyev are mother and son, and are believed to be the ringleaders in a network of sturgeon poachers, said DFG Assistant Chief Fred Cole. They are suspected of poaching sturgeon for at least four years.
"This was a well planned operation that went off without a hitch," said Cole. "We have effectively cut off one of the tentacles of sturgeon poaching in the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta system. And while we recognized this as only the tip of an iceberg in the illegal commercialization of sturgeon and caviar, the Department of Fish and Game and its federal allies will continue to seek out those who steal from California's natural resources."
Charges against the suspects range from illegal possession of sturgeon to illegal sales. A suspect convicted of felony conspiracy to illegally take sturgeon is subject to a maximum fine of $15,000 fine and three years in prison. Each non-felony charge is subject to up to a $15,000 fine and a year in county jail. That is in addition to loss of fishing privileges for life. Under federal law, suspects convicted under the Lacey Act of illegal transportation of commercial wildlife face a maximum fine of $250,000 and a five-year sentence in prison.
DFG's Special Operations Unit - an undercover component that focuses primarily on the poaching of California's natural resources - led the investigation, codenamed Delta Beluga. The two-year investigation included a multi-agency covert effort that involved agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oregon State Police's Fish and Wildlife Division, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wardens watched as the Bugriyevs allegedly recruited as many as 20 anglers to poach and then market the sturgeon. The illegal activity took place in the Sacramento River, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system.
Dozens of fish were seen purchased during surveillance operations. During an eight-day period, investigators estimated the network sold up to 500 pounds of illegal caviar. Illegal caviar in Northern California can sell for as much as $50 per pound. That price can easily double in Southern California, investigators say.
May 9, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Department of Fish and Game Busts 10 in Tri-State Sturgeon Poaching Investigation Called Delta Beluga
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts: Steve Martarano, DFG Information Officer; (916) 804-1714 Patrick Foy, DFG Information Officer (916) 825-7120; Sgt. Walt Markee, Oregon State Police, (503) 378-3387, ext. 255
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SACRAMENTO - A two-year joint federal and state investigation into a network of sturgeon poachers culminated with 10 arrests early Friday in the Sacramento area, the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has announced. Three search warrants were served in Sacramento, and a state search warrant also was served in Oregon, officials said. Additional suspects may be arrested today pending the ongoing investigation.
Since March 2002, the DFG, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oregon State Police's Fish and Wildlife Division, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, have cooperated in a multi-jurisdictional covert investigation to identify and apprehend persons involved in the unlawful taking, possessing, transporting, and/or selling of sturgeon, or sturgeon parts, including caviar, in the states of Oregon, Washington, and California. Sturgeon is mostly poached for the caviar, called "roe" which is only found in females and sells for up to several hundred dollars per pound on the black market.
Included in the arrests were the mother and son team of Yuriy, 27, and Tamara, 51, Bugriyev, both of Fair Oaks. The pair had been under investigation by the DFG since January 2001 after they reportedly had solicited people to help sell sport caught sturgeon. They were observed purchasing and selling sturgeon almost a dozen times during the next two years, and were both taken to Sacramento County Jail early Friday morning.
(A complete list of those arrested will be made available throughout the day and at the scheduled news conference today in Sacramento detailed below).
"This was the largest operation we've ever conducted involving sturgeon," said DFG Assistant Chief Fred Cole, who added that 18 teams consisting of 43 DFG wardens and three USFW agents were involved in the California portion of the operation dubbed Delta Beluga. "This operation was very important because sturgeon is a species severely impacted by poaching. Because female sturgeon spawn only every four years, poaching targeting female sturgeon can have disastrous effects on the sturgeon populations."
Charges filed ranged from illegal possession of sturgeon to illegal sales. A suspect convicted of felony conspiracy to illegally take sturgeon is subject to a maximum fine of $15,000 fine and three years in state prison, Cole said. Each non-felony charge is subject to up to $15,000 fine and a year in county jail. That is in addition to loss of fishing privileges for life.
"The DFG has zero tolerance for the illegal commercialization of fish and wildlife resources," Cole said.
White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus) is a fish species indigenous to the Sacramento River in California, and the Columbia River in Washington. The Kootenai population of white sturgeon in Idaho and Montana is federally listed as endangered. However, other white sturgeon populations in the Sacramento and Columbia rivers are not federally protected.
California does not allow for the commercial catch or sale of white sturgeon. Currently, fish can only be legally taken for sport between the sizes of 46 to 72 inches in length. In Oregon and Washington, commercial take of white sturgeon is allowed in the Columbia River during an open season with various size, gear and license restrictions. All three states prohibit the sale of sport-caught sturgeon, and the roe from sport-caught sturgeon.
White sturgeon is one of the most spectacular native species in the state. They live a long time - approximately 50 years or more - and grow to a size of 400 to 500 pounds and larger. Populations were severely depleted by unrestricted commercial fishing in the last two decades of the 1800s in both the Columbia and the Sacramento-San Joaquin systems and as a result, California imposed a total closure of the sturgeon fishery from 1916 until 1955. Since that time, sturgeon can only be taken through sport fishing regulated by a closely managed slot limit, which is currently one take/possession per day.
Sturgeon populations vary through time and are affected by drought conditions, long-term exposure to chemical contaminants, collisions with boat and ship propellers, and other causes. Populations peaked in the mid 1960s, the mid 1980s and the late 1990s. In 1997 the white sturgeon population was estimated at 147,000, probably the highest population since before 1900. The present population is estimated at 70,000 with a present annual harvest rate of 5 percent.
"There are a lot of factors involved, but probably the best reason for the present down cycle is weather and water use practices," said Dr. Perry Herrgesell, Chief of DFG's Central Valley Bay-Delta Branch. "The numbers do tend to fluctuate, but the recent dry years probably have had a big impact."
This investigation is the direct result of legitimate anglers giving their local wardens and the CalTIP program information about poachers who were blatantly disregarding the regulations imposed to protect the resources, said Cole. By contacting the 1-888-DFG-CALTIP number to report poachers and polluters, callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward.
=========================================
News Release: For Immediate Release
May 9, 2003
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DFG Takedown of Sturgeon, Caviar Poachers Involve Mother/Son Ringleaders
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contacts: Steve Martarano, DFG Information Officer, (916) 804-1714; Patrick Foy, DFG Information Officer (916) 825-7120; Troy Swauger, DFG Information Officer, (916) 768-0564;
Sgt. Walt Markee, Oregon State Police, (503) 378-3387, ext. 255
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) wardens recovered equipment for the processing of caviar during a sturgeon poaching operation Friday that netted 10 suspects.
Suspects in custody include: Yuriy Stanislavovich Bugriyev, 28, and Tamara Andreyevna Bugriyev, 51, both of Fair Oaks; Elena Mazur, 44, of Citrus Heights; Rene Quijano Dinong, 43, and Elena Kharitonova, 36, both of Elk Grove; Moua Yang, 26, and Kee Xiong, 35, both of Sacramento; and Inna Rayz, 42, of Vacaville.
The eight suspects were involved in the unlawful take, possession, transport, and/or sale of sturgeon, or sturgeon parts, including caviar, across California, Oregon and Washington. Two others, including Achien Saephan, 21, and an unidentified man, were taken into custody on outstanding warrants.
All were booked into Sacramento County Jail.
Poachers most often target sturgeon, which has no legal commercial industry in California, for the roe, which is made into caviar. The illegal caviar can be sold at a hundred dollars per pound on the black market.
During Friday's operation, wardens confiscated approximately 25 pounds of illegal caviar, several undocumented salmon, two vehicles, two computers, and numerous cell phones in the coordinated raids. They also found canning jars, bowls and rock salt used in processing the roe into caviar.
Tamara and Yuriy Bugriyev are mother and son, and are believed to be the ringleaders in a network of sturgeon poachers, said DFG Assistant Chief Fred Cole. They are suspected of poaching sturgeon for at least four years.
"This was a well planned operation that went off without a hitch," said Cole. "We have effectively cut off one of the tentacles of sturgeon poaching in the Sacramento-San Joaquin
Delta system. And while we recognized this as only the tip of an iceberg in the illegal commercialization of sturgeon and caviar, the Department of Fish and Game and its federal allies will continue to seek out those who steal from California's natural resources."
Charges against the suspects range from illegal possession of sturgeon to illegal sales. A suspect convicted of felony conspiracy to illegally take sturgeon is subject to a maximum fine of $15,000 fine and three years in prison. Each non-felony charge is subject to up to a $15,000 fine and a year in county jail. That is in addition to loss of fishing privileges for life. Under federal law, suspects convicted under the Lacey Act of illegal transportation of commercial wildlife face a maximum fine of $250,000 and a five-year sentence in prison.
DFG's Special Operations Unit - an undercover component that focuses primarily on the poaching of California's natural resources - led the investigation, codenamed Delta Beluga. The two-year investigation included a multi-agency covert effort that involved agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Oregon State Police's Fish and Wildlife Division, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Wardens watched as the Bugriyevs allegedly recruited as many as 20 anglers to poach and then market the sturgeon. The illegal activity took place in the Sacramento River, and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta system.
Dozens of fish were seen purchased during surveillance operations. During an eight-day period, investigators estimated the network sold up to 500 pounds of illegal caviar. Illegal caviar in Northern California can sell for as much as $50 per pound. That price can easily double in Southern California, investigators say.
