Conservation officers in British Columbia have opened a criminal investigation after video emerged of two fishermen allegedly poaching an endangered sturgeon.
The Aug. 31 video shows two men dragging a giant white sturgeon into their truck off the shores of the Fraser River in Chilliwack, B.C. The fisherman who captured the video called British Columbia鈥檚 poaching hotline, but by the time officers arrived, the truck was long gone.
Conservation authorities identified the suspects after returning to the same location later that day. Officers say charges and fines are possible, but they鈥檙e still piecing together the evidence.
The mature sturgeon in the video appears to weigh about 135 kilograms, which could be worth hundreds of dollars on the black market.
鈥淢ost of the time it鈥檚 probably for sale鈥nd if eggs are in there, it's caviar,鈥� Acting Sgt. Don Stahl with the B.C. Conservation Officer Service told CTV Vancouver. 鈥淭hat can be quite valuable.鈥�
Sturgeon fishing is popular in the area, but the fish are strictly catch-and-release as the considers them endangered.
鈥淧eople are disgusted,鈥� said Brody Mansell, a fishing guide in the region. 鈥淭he whole fishing community is just astonished those people would actually take a fish of that size right in front of other people.鈥�
With a report from CTV Vancouver鈥檚 Sheila Scott
