Placer County man sentenced to 2 years for wildlife commercialization

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) reported the Colusa County Superior Court sentenced a Placer County man May 21 to two years in jail for commercializing state wildlife. According to the DFW, Justin D. Lewis conspired to commercialize Pacific lamprey, a jawless fish that is usually sourced commercially from Alaska and highly regarded as bait for sturgeon and other fish. The DFW also noted lamprey have significant food and cultural significance to Yurok tribal members in Del Norte County and other tribal communities in the area. Lewis sourced the fish from the Klamath River in Del Norte County and resold through co-conspirators in Colusa County and elsewhere, DFW confirmed. "Because of a temporary downturn in the bait market, Lewis and others created an illegal commercial market for California lamprey," the DFW stated. The DFW confirmed Lewis will serve one year in the Colusa County Jail, and the remaining balance will be served on supervised release post incarceration. Lewis has also been charged more than $20,000 in fines and his fishing and other outdoor privileges will be suspended during this timeframe. "This case highlights the critical importance of protecting California's native species and the ecosystems they support," said Nathaniel Arnold, chief of enforcement at DFW. "The illegal commercialization of lamprey not only threatens a vulnerable species but also disregards the cultural significance they hold for tribal communities."