Suspects sought after nearly 2 dozen fish dumped near Washington river

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is searching for suspects who illegally harvested and dumped nearly two dozen fish near the Washougal River in early September.

WDFW said the incident occurred sometime before Sept. 5, when their officers received a report of the dumped fish.

On the scene, WDFW police found three filleted sturgeon on cement and nearly two dozen tule Chinook salmon carcasses in nearby blackberry bushes with all but two of the fish filleted.

Officials found a dozen black plastic bags filled with yard debris just downstream of the pile of fish along with a tire but found no evidence pointing to any suspects who may have dumped the fish. Officers said it is unclear where the fish may have been harvested.

“We would like to thank those that reported the incident to us,” said WDFW Captain Jeff Wickersham. “We rely on tips from the public since they are often the eyes and the ears in the outdoors. We are hopeful that someone will come forward with information on how these fish ended up on the side of the road.”  

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contacted the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Amid the search for suspects, Coastal Conservation Association Washington is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to convictions in the case.

“We are deeply disturbed by the illegal dumping of sturgeon and salmon on the Washougal River,” said Nello Picinich, Executive Director of CCA Washington. “This reckless act not only damages our fragile fish populations, but also undermines years of conservation work. Protecting these species is at the heart of our mission, and we urge anyone with information to come forward. Our rivers and fish deserve better.”