CDFW News

California Fish and Game Commission Revokes Commercial Fishing Licenses of Two California Fishermen

Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:22:45 GMT

The California Fish and Game Commission has revoked the commercial fishing licenses and permits of two fishermen after extensive histories of violations in the lobster and Dungeness crab fisheries.

At its June 11-12, 2025, meeting, the Commission – acting on California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) recommendations – revoked the commercial fishing license and lobster operator permit of Christopher James Miller, 68, of Santa Barbara, and the commercial fishing license and Dungeness crab permit of Ronald Ghera, 45, of Fortuna.

Miller’s violations, spanning a decade, included abandoning 156 lobster traps around Santa Barbara and the Northern Channel Islands, leaving traps in the water after the season closure, failing to retrieve baited traps and filing inaccurate catch records.

Ghera’s record included abandoning 94 crab traps after the 2023 season and 74 after the 2024 season, failing to service traps within the required 96 hours, failing to submit mandatory reports, and fishing with untagged traps and improperly marked buoys.

“The majority of people who fish commercially are law-abiding and care about our fisheries,” said Nathaniel Arnold, Chief of the CDFW Law Enforcement Division. “There are a few individuals, however, who choose to partake in commercial poaching. These individuals will eventually be caught and will likely lose the privilege to commercially fish in this state through either criminal or administrative actions.”

CDFW emphasizes that compliance with commercial fishing regulations – particularly removing traps at the end of each season—is essential. Those who abandon traps not only endanger marine mammals and other wildlife that can become trapped or entangled in derelict gear, but they can also cause shortened fishing seasons for law-abiding fishers who depend on those opportunities for their livelihood.

Whether it’s hunting, recreational fishing, or commercial fishing, the privilege to harvest California’s fish and wildlife requires a high degree of mutual trust between the public and law enforcement. CDFW’s wildlife officers are entrusted with protecting the state’s marine fish and wildlife species by patrolling and enforcing the law along California’s 840-mile coastline, and together with the California Fish and Game Commission, will continue to review violations of commercial fishing cases and take decisive administrative action to prevent bad actors from further harming California’s ocean environment.

See something serious? Report it and help protect California’s fish and wildlife. You can:

Call CalTIP at (888) 334-2258 – available 24/7
Text “CALTIP” + your message to 847411 (tip411)
Download the CalTIP app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play to send tips anonymously.

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Media Contacts:
Andrew Halverson, CDFW Law Enforcement, (661) 428-9873
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

Unsuspecting Airline Passengers Reveal Smuggled Sea Turtle Skull, Other Wildlife Crimes to Plainclothes CDFW Wildlife Officers Leading to Prosecution, Fines and Forfeiture

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 16:26:44 GMT

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has announced the settlement of an investigation involving the unlawful possession of a sea turtle skull, several mountain lions, a wolverine, a ringtail cat, owl parts and illegally harvested deer.

CDFW’s investigation was conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and prosecuted by the Butte County and Napa County district attorney’s offices and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California resulting in a conviction, fines and probation for all involved suspects.

CDFW’s investigation began in November 2023 when two of its canine officers from the Northern Enforcement District were flying back to northern California from a training in San Diego.

The officers were dressed in plain clothes and seated in front of a couple who were discussing hunting. A conversation with the officers and the unsuspecting couple ensued that ultimately led to the couple disclosing that they were transporting a sea turtle skull from the East Coast in their luggage. The couple also discussed their unlawful take of a mountain lion, which is a specially protected species in California illegal to hunt or possess in whole or in part.

The couple then spoke openly about a close family member’s unlawful possession of multiple taxidermized mountain lions, a wolverine and wolves at the family member’s residence in Napa County. The couple then proceeded to share a video with the wildlife officers of the family member’s “trophy room” where the illegal mounts were displayed.

After deboarding the plane, the wildlife officers asked if the couple would show them the sea turtle skull. The suspects acknowledged the potential unlawful possession and waited until after any Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers could see before showing the officers the sea turtle skull concealed in a jacket inside their carry-on luggage. The skull belonged to a green sea turtle, a federally listed endangered species illegal to possess and transport.

Once back to their patrol districts, the wildlife officers authored search warrants for the couple’s residence in Chico and the family member’s residence in Napa County. The warrants were signed by judges in Butte and Napa counties.

In the process of serving the search warrant in Butte County, wildlife officers found the couple processing a deer that was taken illegally earlier in the day. Deer season was closed, and the suspects had no deer tags. Also inside the residence, wildlife officers found mountain lion claws, a ringtail cat, a barn owl mount, an illegal spike buck and several unlawfully taken deer with tagging violations.

Ringtail cats are a fully protected species in California. Mounted raptors and raptor parts are illegal to possess without appropriate state and federal permits.

At the family member’s residence in Napa County, meanwhile, wildlife officers discovered two illegal, full-bodied taxidermized mountain lions and one full-bodied taxidermized wolverine. Wolverines are another fully protected species in California illegal to possess.

All the unlawfully possessed animals and parts of unlawful animals were seized as evidence for the prosecution in Napa County, Butte County and in federal district court.

Formal complaints were filed against 24-year-old Byron Lee Fitzpatrick, 28-year-old Shannon Lee Price and 64-year-old Harry Vern Fitzpatrick by the Butte and Napa County district attorney’s offices, which initiated prosecution of the poaching crimes. The possession of the sea turtle skull, portions of deer parts and the owl violations were turned over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which assisted in the search warrants, investigation and prosecution.

A plea agreement was reached on Jan. 30, 2025, in Butte County. Byron Lee Fitzpatrick was convicted of violating Fish and Game Code section 2000(a) and 2002, receiving a $1,865 fine and one-year probation prohibiting hunting or being around those engaged in hunting. Shannon Lee Price was convicted of violating Fish and Game Code section 2002, receiving a $1,015 fine and one-year probation prohibiting hunting or being around those engaged in hunting. All wildlife seized was forfeited.

A plea agreement was reached on April 23, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. Byron Lee Fitzpatrick and Shannon Lee Price were each fined $1,000 for violations of federal wildlife regulations and laws.

A plea agreement was reached on Feb. 15, 2024, in Napa County. Harry Vern Fitzpatrick was convicted of two counts of Fish and Game Code section 4800(b), fined $605, ordered to serve six-months probation and forfeited all unlawfully possessed and transported wildlife as a result of the convictions.

“This case exemplifies the unwavering preparedness and swift action demonstrated by our wildlife officers,” said CDFW Chief of Law Enforcement Nathaniel Arnold. “It highlights a broad spectrum of natural resource violations and underscores the critical role our officers play in safeguarding our resources, not only here in California but elsewhere throughout the country and abroad. These violations encompass the take of deer out of season and the illegal possession of taxidermy, including endangered and protected species. Like human and narcotics trafficking, wildlife trafficking of both live animals and animal parts is known to fund transnational criminal organizations and their violent activities all over the world. The individuals involved exhibited a flagrant disregard for laws governing natural resources and are now being held accountable for their actions.”

CDFW is thankful for the support from the Butte and Napa County district attorney’s offices as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The investigation, which started as a casual conversation among airline passengers, led officers to serious violations of state and federal wildlife laws.

Anyone witnessing a poaching or polluting incident or any fish and wildlife violation or who has information about such a violation should immediately dial the toll-free CALTIP number, 1-888 334-CALTIP (888-334-2258), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Media Contacts:
Asst. Chief Andrew Halverson, CDFW Law Enforcement, (661) 428-9873
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

Pronghorn Antelope Poaching Case Results in Loss of Hunting Privileges, Forfeiture, Restitution

Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:00:19 GMT

** Joint News Release Issued by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Modoc County District Attorney**

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the Modoc County District Attorney’s Office have announced the settlement of a pronghorn antelope poaching investigation and prosecution resulting in the loss of hunting privileges, the forfeiture of the game, a $3,000 restitution payment and other penalties.

CDFW’s investigation began in August 2024 when its Law Enforcement Division, Northern Enforcement District received a tip via CALTIP of an individual observed illegally shooting and taking a pronghorn with a bow on private property in Modoc County.

CDFW wildlife officers responded to the location and determined that a male pronghorn had been illegally taken and initiated a poaching investigation. The investigation involved field interviews with witnesses, canvassing of the kill site, online records and other investigatory databases.

CDFW’s investigation pointed to Ernest Davis, 53, of Clayton as a person of interest. Wildlife officers contacted Davis at his residence and determined it was Davis who illegally poached the pronghorn with a compound bow and arrow. A formal complaint was submitted to the Modoc County District Attorney’s Office, which initiated the prosecution of Davis for poaching crimes.

A settlement agreement was reached at Davis’ Jan. 30 arraignment. Davis pleaded no-contest to violating California Fish and Game Code Section 2016 involving the illegal take of the pronghorn on private property with other violations being dismissed. The terms of the settlement resulted in a one-year summary probation term for Davis; the loss of hunting privileges while on probation; the forfeiture of the pronghorn’s meat; the requirement to complete a hunter education course; and payment of $3,000 in restitution.

“The Modoc County District Attorney’s Office takes all criminal matters very seriously. We understand the importance of individuals following CDFW regulations. Our office will continue to do our part in prosecuting and raising awareness on illegal hunting, ensuring public safety and assisting in big game population management,” said Modoc County District Attorney Nina Salarno.

“We have zero tolerance for poaching and those who would cheat the system and undermine the opportunities Californians have to legally hunt pronghorn antelope in this state,” said CDFW Chief of Law Enforcement Nathaniel Arnold. “We’re grateful for the collaboration and support from Modoc County District Attorney Salarno, who shares our values of protecting one of California’s iconic big game species.”

The hunting of pronghorn antelope in California is a highly coveted big game opportunity but also one that is tightly regulated to protect declining populations found mostly in the northeastern corner of the state, primarily in Modoc and Lassen counties.

Only 137 pronghorn hunting tags were offered by CDFW in 2024. It can take many years, sometimes decades of applying each year through CDFW’s Big Game Drawing before a hunter is awarded a tag to legally hunt pronghorn.

CALTIP, which led to the successful outcome of this case, stands for Californians Turn In Poachers and Polluters, a confidential secret witness program that encourages the public to provide CDFW with factual information leading to the arrest of poachers and polluters.

If the information supplied by the caller results in an arrest, the caller becomes eligible for a reward. (Up to $3,500 rewards have been granted.) The case is then reviewed by a volunteer citizen's group known as the "CALTIP Rewards Committee" to determine the amount of the reward. Visit the CALTIP web page for details.

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Media Contacts:
Lt. Jacob Nicholas, CDFW Law Enforcement, (530) 225-2300
Peter Tira, CDFW Communications, (916) 215-3858

Ventura County Deputy District Attorney Named 2021 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year

Fri, 17 Jun 2022 11:12:38 GMT

Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney (SDDA) Karen Wold has been named 2021 Wildlife Prosecutor of the Year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and California Fish and Game Commission announced this week.

“Senior Deputy DA Karen Wold has taken several complicated investigations by CDFW’s wildlife officers and turned them into successful prosecutions, thereby making it clear that poaching and pollution crimes will not be tolerated in Ventura County,” said David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division.

SDDA Karen Wold and her team of investigators from the Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit have been valuable partners and a trusted resource for wildlife officers. For years, Wold has led the charge to hold poaching and pollution violators in Ventura County accountable through effective prosecution and assessment of criminal and civil penalties. Those penalties range from fines, permanent and temporary injunctions, imprisonment, cost recovery, educational outreach signage and the procurement of supplies and equipment to help various agencies continue to protect the state’s natural resources.

“We are very proud of Senior Deputy District Attorney Karen Wold’s achievements and are grateful to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for their collaboration and recognition of her work,” said Erik Nasarenko, Ventura County District Attorney. “Karen is a dedicated prosecutor — she works hard each day to enforce laws that protect the environment and wildlife in our beautiful state.”

Over the years, the Consumer and Environmental Protection Unit has been responsible for securing some favorable dispositions against businesses that pollute in Ventura County. Most notably, a civil settlement in 2016 against Crimson Pipeline totaled nearly $1.6 million in penalties, costs and natural resource damage restitution.

More recently, however, SDDA Wold was vital in securing a settlement against a local commercial fishing vessel operator who allowed toxic substances to flow into the waters of Channel Islands Harbor. In June 2021, wildlife officers from the patrol boat Swordfish observed a commercial squid seiner exiting Ventura Harbor after conducting an off-load of market squid. The officers monitored the vessel, knowing they were most likely heading out of the harbor to dump their excess tank water, known as “stick-water.” Stick water is deleterious to aquatic life due to its ability to create an oxygen deficient environment and create increased amounts of lethal ammonia. Because of its deleterious nature to fish, commercial fishermen are required to dump it outside of state waters, defined as at least three miles offshore.

After boarding the vessel and conducting interviews, officers determined the vessel dumped the toxic water just outside the breakwater and well inside the boundaries of state waters. The case was turned over to SDDA Wold and her team, and they recently settled the case for a civil penalty of $20,000. Included in that penalty was funding set aside for educational signage inside the harbor, most specifically at the commercial squid processing dock, that addresses the regulations and deleterious nature of stick water.

In February 2021, wildlife officers from CDFW’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response responded to reports of excessive amounts of paint debris coating nearby vessels and rocks along the jetty. Through investigation, the officers determined a local commercial fishing vessel operator was sanding their deck and hull without any containment setup. The case was turned over to SDDA Wold and her team, and they promptly went to work to reach a settlement. In the end, the violator agreed to pay $20,000 in fines with nearly $15,000 of that earmarked for oil spill response equipment.

SDDA Wold and her team not only help with marine environmental prosecutions, but they also step in to help with some of the more egregious fish and wildlife crimes that take place in Ventura County. In July 2019, wildlife officers investigated the killing of a collared mountain lion in the Simi Hills, Ventura County. The investigation revealed that a worker at a local college shot and killed a mountain lion that was being monitored via a GPS collar. After killing the lion, the suspect cut off the GPS collar to cover up his crime. He then drove the collar and the lion carcass to two different locations and dumped them several miles from the kill site. Wold prosecuted this case with the utmost seriousness and after several meetings, the suspect ultimately pled guilty to the charge of unlawfully killing a mountain lion and was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 30 days in a work release program, 240 hours of community service at a local animal shelter and three years of summary probation.

“Senior Deputy DA Wold exemplifies the type of prosecutor who can take a poaching or pollution crime investigation and turn into a successful prosecution that not only holds the violator accountable but serves as a warning to others that they too will be held accountable for similar violations,” said Commission President Samantha Murray. “The Commission created this award for prosecutors like Wold to acknowledge good work and to set an example for other prosecutors.”

CDFW is proud of the partnership established through years of collaboration with SDDA Wold and thankful for her leadership in protecting the natural resources of Ventura County.

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Media Contacts:
Assistant Chief Eric Kord, CDFW Law Enforcement Division, (619) 921-5959
Jordan Traverso, CDFW Communications, (916) 212-7352

Major Sturgeon Poaching Operation Nets Nine Suspects

Thu, 21 Apr 2022 10:49:15 GMT

Wildlife officers have arrested eight men on suspicion of poaching white sturgeon from Sacramento Valley waterways, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced. The men face multiple charges, including intention to sell the fish and their products on the illegal market. At least two of the individuals are known repeat offenders. A ninth man was arrested on suspicion of selling Dungeness crab and red abalone on the illegal market.

Wildlife officers were initially investigating two separate poaching cases when they discovered a connection between the suspects, leading them to merge the two cases into one.

In May 2021, wildlife officers began investigating Oakland residents Andrew Chao, 31, and Ay Pou Saechao, 35, for allegedly catching sturgeon, removing the sturgeon’s eggs and selling them to Igor, Lyudmila, Yevgeniy and Olga Petryanik, in San Francisco. The Petryanik family is suspected of processing the sturgeon roe into caviar and selling it on the illegal wildlife market. Chao and all four members of the Petryanik family are facing poaching charges in a case that is still pending prosecution.

In January 2022, wildlife officers began investigating Chao and Saechao again for allegedly poaching sturgeon from the Sacramento River near Knights Landing. On March 14, officers performed a traffic stop and found an 85.5-inch white sturgeon in the back of Chao’s vehicle. Chao was arrested on additional charges of conspiring to poach sturgeon and possession of an oversized sturgeon. In this case, the fish was still alive, and officers successfully returned it to the water after quickly taking evidence photos.

During the investigation of the Knight’s Landing case, officers found a link connecting Chao and Saechao to another simultaneous investigation involving multiple sturgeon poaching suspects. Wildlife officers spent a considerable amount of time conducting surveillance on the additional suspects and believe the suspects caught a combined total of at least 36 sturgeon throughout the investigation. The suspects were also observed catching and using juvenile salmon as bait for the sturgeon, another unlawful act. Independent of the sturgeon poaching investigation, some of the suspects are also suspected of poaching and selling abalone and sport-harvested crabs on the illegal market. Abalone are now a protected species and may not be recreationally harvested.

On March 30, wildlife officers served eight search warrants. Chao was arrested again, along with Ay Pou Saechao, Huan Van Nguyen, 72, of Elk Grove, and Lai Chow Saechao, 34, Ou Hin Saetern, 37, Sengon Saechao, 32, Andy Serncho Saephanh, 35, Nai Fow Saechao, 39, and Choy Gwen Saephan, 32, all of Sacramento.

Charges include conspiracy to poach sturgeon and multiple violations related to sturgeon fishing, such as unlawful possession of sturgeon, possession of oversized and/or undersized sturgeon, sturgeon tagging violations and the unlawful sale of sturgeon caviar and meat. Wildlife officers also discovered at least five unlawfully possessed deer (the total number will be determined after genetic analysis is complete), abalone, five illegal firearms including a full-auto handgun, a “ghost gun” with no serial number and an unlawfully possessed AR-15 assault rifle. Officers also found illegal narcotics intended for sale, including more than 1,000 pounds of illegal cannabis, and more than $57,000 in cash and counterfeit currency. During surveillance of the suspects while they were fishing, wildlife officers observed dozens of counts of littering, as the suspects routinely discarded their beverage containers and food wrappers into the river. Their observations of litter will be included among the violations presented to the District Attorney for potential prosecution.

“I am proud of the dedicated wildlife officers who spent countless hours investigating this wildlife trafficking case to protect our native sturgeon population, which is already severely affected by historic drought conditions,” said David Bess, CDFW Deputy Director and Chief of the Law Enforcement Division. “Wildlife trafficking, coupled with suspected narcotics trafficking discovered in this investigation, is motivated by greed and personal profit. We take it seriously when poachers commercialize our wildlife, and we will continue to do everything we can to bring these individuals to justice.”

CDFW asks anyone who witnesses a poaching or polluting incident or any violation of fish and wildlife laws, or with information about such a violation to call CDFW’s CalTIP number, (888) 334-2258, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Other reporting options include texting or using the CalTIP app. Please visit CDFW’s CalTIP web page for details.

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Media Contact:
Captain Patrick Foy, CDFW Law Enforcement Division, (916) 508-7095