An Unalaska resident has been charged with 10 counts of illegal subsistence fishing violations.
Fifty-nine-year-old Juliann Tucker received the citation Wednesday, following a nearly three-month investigation by the Alaska Wildlife Troopers.
Unalaska Wildlife Trooper Jeremy Baum said Tucker fished illegally in Unalaska’s Reese Bay — a popular subsistence area where locals harvest mostly red salmon.
“Ten violations for a subsistence case is significant,” Baum said. “And it’s not like a single violation. These violations occurred over the course of that three-month period. It wasn’t just one day. It was multiple days.”
The alleged violations include obstructing the mouth of a stream with a gillnet, fishing during a closed period and not being physically present at her net while it was actively being used for fishing. Each of the 10 charges carries a possible penalty of a fine of up to $500 and the potential for lost fishing privileges, but no jail time.
This is the second illegal fishing case at Reese Bay this summer. Earlier this month, a Homer man was charged with four counts of illegal fishing there, for allegedly using commercial gear in the subsistence-only area.
Tucker’s next court hearing is set for late September at the Unalaska Courthouse.