The fish had beaten the odds. After swimming 900
miles from the Pacific Ocean, past eight dams and up to over 6,000
feet, the almost three-foot-long endangered chinook salmon finally
reached the Sawtooth Hatchery in Stanley, Idaho. It was one of only
132 adult salmon to make the journey this year to spawn in the
Salmon River headwaters. Idaho Fish and Game biologists know this
because they passed the fish by hand from the hatchery to the river
above it on July 20.
But the next day,
biologists found only the head and tail of the salmon floating in
the river; it had been hooked and taken home for
dinner.
“This is a crime against Idaho,” said
Gary Willis, vice president of Idaho Steelhead and Salmon
Unlimited. “This fish survived all the dams to get back to Idaho,
only to be killed by a thief.” Four groups, Idaho Steelhead and
Salmon Unlimited, Idaho Rivers United, Idaho Wildlife Federation
and Idaho Fish and Game’s Citizens Against Poaching, have offered a
$1,200 reward for information leading to the poacher. But more than
two months after the incident, officials say they are still in the
dark.
State fisheries chief Steve Huffaker hopes
the posted reward will serve notice to other potential poachers.
“We want to know who did it,” said Huffaker. “It’s an endangered
species. People wouldn’t think lightly of bopping a bald eagle over
the head.”
Idaho residents with information
about this or any poaching incident can call the Citizens Against
Poaching Hotline at 800/632-5999. Those outside the state can call
208/334-3791.
*Katie
Fesus
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Who snatched the salmon?.
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