Illegal fishing nets perch dinner for needy

[GLF]

While limit catches of 40 yellow perch are being caught the traditional way in Lake Erie, the Mid-Ohio FoodBank of Columbus on Monday snared 200 pounds of tasty perch fillets compliments of the legal system.

As part of being found guilty in a Cuyahoga County court on charges related to illegal commercial fishing, Port Clinton Fisheries, Inc., Wholesalers and its owners, Richard Stinson and Orville "Lee" Stinson, were ordered to donate the perch as restitution and pay $160,000 in fines.

The fine and restitution signal the latest resolution involving 14 commercial fishermen, two fishing companies and three wholesalers. All were indicted by a grand jury last year on felony counts related to racketeering after evidence indicated the fishermen and fish companies had been taking yellow perch beyond their quotas and selling them to the wholesalers.

Several fishermen and companies have pleaded guilty and been hit with fines totaling $356,000. Some cases are pending.

Spurred by the cheating, the Ohio Division of Wildlife began tightening reporting and other restrictions on commercial netters May 1.

Yellow perch sells for about $13 a pound when available in the supermarket, putting a $2,600 value on the fish given to the food bank.