3 Oregon Men Get Jail Time, Fines for Illegally Poaching Sturgeon

Sturgeon are among the most unusual fish, dating back to prehistoric times. They're considered sort of a 'dinosaur' type of creature that populate the waters of the Pacific Northwest.

  Three Oregon men facing fines and jail time

According to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, three men just finished serving various amounts of jail time related to incidents that occurred in 2022.

In Scappoose Bay, Oregon. which is part of the Columbia River system between Vancouver and Longview on the WA side of the river, the men were seen fishing for sturgeon in 2022. However, it was noticed by other sportsmen the three were not releasing their catch as required by law.

This led to monitoring of the area by OSP Troopers and Fish and Wildlife officers. The officials observed the subjects catching more oversized sturgeon, but not releasing them.

The three suspects, Julio Duran, Jose Plascencia, and Axel Guel, told the officers they hadn't caught any fish, but officers saw multiple lines secured to the nearby dock out into the water. After pulling up the lines, they found four live sturgeon hooked to the lines. They were being kept underwater so they would survive. Officers also found an oversized white sturgeon on the men's boat.

The three were arrested, and faced a variety of jail sentences ranging from 10 to 24 days, and fines ranging from $500 to $5,000. Guel was also given a three-year ban from any kind of fishing in Oregon requiring a license.

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Sturgeon are considered perhaps the most prehistoric fish, dating back thousands of years, and have not changed much in that time. There are very limited levels of catch and keep allowed for the fish, due to lower levels in some bodies of water in the Pacific Northwest. Sturgeon usually live to between 80 and 100 years, according to wildlife experts.

They're also one of the biggest fish in NW waters, reaching lengths of five and even six feet or longer.