Soldotna man charged for 13 halibut over limit 07/20/11

Story last updated at 3:39 PM on Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Soldotna man charged for 13 halibut over limit

By Michael Armstrong
Staff Writer

A man last week took the rap for his boat passengers catching an over limit of 13 halibut. Troopers allege Benjamin T. Adams, 38, of Soldotna, said he took responsibility for his boat and the over limit.

In a criminal complaint by Alaska Wildlife Trooper Trent Chwialkowski, the trooper wrote that late July 10 he approached Adams and three passengers in an aluminum skiff. Chwialkowski said Adams and two other men had sport fishing licenses while a woman with the boat did not. Chwialkowski said he counted halibut filets in coolers that added up to 19 halibut. With each licensed fisherman allowed two halibut a day, or six fish, that meant the boat was 13 over the limit.

Chwialkowski said Adams and his passengers had left that day about noon and been out fishing only for one day. The filleted, over limit fish was seized and donated to a charity.

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