Why would a person ever put a live fish, especially a large one, in the trunk of their car? There aren’t many excuses for this…
There are even less excuses when the fish is an endangered Green Sturgeon.
Sturgeon are one of the coolest fish families out there. A prehistoric looking creature that seems to be completely from a different time on this planet with their scaly look. They are a long-lived family, often living for over 50 years.
Fox News said that California Department of Fish & Wildlife came across this scene.
The suspect was spotted putting the large fish into the back of his car and witnesses report the incident along with their license plate number. Authorities followed up on the complaint and discovered the fish in his trunk.
Here’s the crazy part. It was still alive… And, they were able to save it.
Crazy.
It’s not to often that a poacher that is caught and the fish or wildlife involved is able to survive the situation. Let’s take a moment to appreciate how fast that the California officers were able to act and get this taken care of.
Their quick actions saved this threatened fish’s life:
“Recognizing the importance of this potential poaching case, three wildlife officers responded to the CalTIP from as far as 90 minutes away. They used the license plate number to find the suspect’s home address, and shortly after their arrival, the suspect pulled up in his vehicle.
Wildlife officers found him to be in possession of the green sturgeon, which was stuffed into the back of his compact SUV… Officers noticed it was still alive and there might be a chance to save it. They quickly photographed it as evidence for the court and issued a citation to the suspect”
Realizing the fish was alive they had to act continue to act fast. The officers gathered necessary evidence against the suspect then made some fast decisions.
“Then they raced to a nearby boat ramp with the fish. It took 90 minutes of effort to revive the stressed sturgeon but it was successfully released and biologists say that its chances of survival appear good.”
The suspect was written citations for unlawful take of green sturgeon, failing to release green sturgeon upon incidental take while fishing for white sturgeon, and failing to record the take of green sturgeon on the required Sturgeon Report Card.
Hats of to these Fish & Wildlife officers, their fast actions saved the day.
That’s what it’s all about in the end, helping the fish that need it and holding people accountable when they make decisions that go against what is acceptable.
