Oregon man's salmon killing spree: 18,000 fish killed, faces multi-million dollar penalty

A man from Oregon is in trouble for killing around 18,000 young Chinook salmon by pouring bleach into their tank at a hatchery in Douglas County.

On this, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife found the man, Joshua Heckathorn, the next day near the hatchery.He admitted to“trespassing on the propertyand enteringa storage location and handling the chemical bottle."

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The police called it a"significant poaching incident"as these fish come under protected species. Moreover, the hatchery wherethey were killedis runby volunteers.

It is pertinent to note that the police started looking into it on April 22 when they got a call saying someone"forcibly made entry into the hatchery building"and poured a chemical into the fish tank.

Heckathornwasarrested under the charges of burglary, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief. Authorities say poaching chargesare expectedtobe added. More charges related to poaching are likely to come.

“Due to the high number of salmon killed, DCSO is working the case with the Oregon State Police (OSP) Fish and Wildlife Division to address both vandalism on the property and a significant poaching incident,"OSP Sergeant Levi Harris saidin a statement.

The authorities are also figuring out how much the guy will be liable to pay in fines for his alleged deeds.

Harris said,"In addition, Heckathorn faces charges of Making a Toxic Substance Available to Wildlife, which is a Class AMisdemeanor;and Criminal Mischief 1st Degree (Damaging or destroying property of another in an amount exceeding $1,000). Additional penalties could include a lifetime angling license suspension and damage suits for unlawful killing of wildlife."

When it comes to illegally taking or killing a single Chinook salmon, the utmost civil penalty in the state is a $750 fine.

"Courts have the authority to multiply that amount by the number of fish taken, with ajudgementin this case potentially raising the amount to over $13 million,"Harris said.

Although he mentioned that an exorbitant fine around this figure is unlikely, this episode marks a significant loss for the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Programme (STEP).