Sting Busts Poaching Ring

WARSAW, MO., KNOWN AS ‘PADDLEFISH CAPITAL OF THE WORLD’

WARSAW, Mo. - An undercover investigation by two agencies has resulted in more than 100 suspects from Missouri and eight other states being issued citations or arrest warrants for paddlefish poaching on the Osage River.

Warsaw, Mo., is known at the “Paddlefi sh Capital of the World” for the thousands of paddlefish snaggers who come to the area each year.

Also called spoonbills, paddlefish can grow up to seven-feet long and weigh 160 pounds or more. Paddlefish are valued as a sport fi sh for both their size and for eating.

Paddlefish are also valued for their eggs, or roe, which are eaten as caviar.

The arrests and citations were the result of a multiyear investigation by Missouri Department of Conservation wildlife officers and agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Eight of those arrested face federal chargesof selling paddlefish eggs in the national and international caviar market.

The undercover investigation ran during the spring 2011 and spring 2012 paddlefish seasons, March 15 through April 30.

The section of the Osage River running along Warsaw is a paddlefish hot spot because it is blocked upstream by Truman Dam. When spawning paddlefish reach the dam, their route is blocked and their numbers increase dramatically.

That increases sport anglers’ chances of snagging the big fish with a random jerk on a fishing line equipped with large hooks.

This concentration of female paddlefish laden with eggs also makes Warsaw a prime location for paddlefi sh poachers to get the fi sh eggs for national and international illegal caviar markets.

“The national and international popularity of Missouri paddlefish eggs as a source of caviar has grown dramatically in recent years,” said Conservation Department ProtectionChief Larry Yamnitz.

“This is a result of European sources of caviar having declined from overfi shing of the Caspian Sea’s once plentiful and lucrative beluga sturgeon, another species of fi sh known for its caviar.”

Caviar is a delicacycreated by preserving fish roe in special salts. Up to 20 pounds of eggs or more can be harvested from a large, pregnant female paddlefi sh.

Retail prices for paddlefish caviar vary. A current common retail price is about $35 per ounce.

Outdoor, Pages 10 on 03/21/2013

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