St. Paul — The shovelnose sturgeon pales in comparison to the lake sturgeon in many ways. They weigh less and don’t grow as long. They live much shorter lives and aren’t as popular targets for anglers.
However, the shovelnose sturgeon is a native fish, known for its meat and roe, and an vital part of the ecosystem. It is protected by strict catch limits to ensure a stable population.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officers and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation rangers had all of this in mind in the spring of 2019 when they received a report and began investigating potential illegal take of shoveler sturgeon in Mississippi River Reservoir 9.
Over the next two years, officers conducted an extensive investigation that included hundreds of hours of observations and documented a number of violations.
During the investigation, officers discovered many fish with their bellies cut open. Eggs were collected from females; the carcasses of females and males were thrown back into the river.
Ultimately, six people were charged by the Houston County District Attorney’s Office with 57 violations. All pleaded guilty last year, and the final case was resolved overdue last fall.
Three people pleaded guilty to felony counts of gross overage and lost their hunting and fishing privileges for 10 years. Two people were also charged and found guilty in Wisconsin of improperly transporting game from another state; those cases were resolved this spring.
“This case is a great example of cooperation between states, agencies and the district attorney’s office. It sends a clear message that wildlife crimes will not be tolerated,” said CO Tyler Ramaker, who was the Minnesota DNR’s lead investigator on the case.
Brad Parsons, DNR fisheries section manager, said, “We put regulations in place to protect fish populations and ensure their sustainability in the future. Situations like this, especially when it involves slow-growing species like shovelnose sturgeon that can only reproduce three or four times in their lifetime, can really impact everyone’s ability to use and enjoy our natural resources.”
Sentences and penalties
• Vladimiras Parsikovas (Milwaukee, Wisconsin): flagrantly exceeding wildlife limit (gross misdemeanor); fishing with more than two lines/bait; leaving line unattended (two counts); $2,200 in damages to wildlife and $275 fine; six-month probation; 10-year ban on fishing and hunting privileges.
He was also found guilty in Wisconsin of illegally transporting game from another state.
• Soma Miller (Mequon, Wisconsin): flagrantly exceeding game animal limit (gross misdemeanor); wanton waste of game animals; $2,200 in wildlife damages and $175 fine; two years’ probation; 10-year ban on fishing and hunting rights.
• Artyom Miller (Mequon, Wisconsin): gross violation of wildlife standards (gross misdemeanor); $2,000 wildlife restitution and $75 fine; one year probation; 10-year ban on fishing and hunting rights.
He was also found guilty in Wisconsin of illegally transporting game from another state.
• Sergej Jestrebov (Milwaukee, Wisconsin): Exceeding catch limit of shovelnose sturgeon; wanton waste of game; $800 in compensation for damage to wildlife and $525 fine; revocation of all fishing privileges for three years.
• Piotr Miller (McKinney, Texas): exceeding the population limit of shovelnose sturgeon; $600 in damages to wildlife and $275 fine
• Viktor Parsikovas (Milwaukee, Wisconsin): fishing rod with more than two lines/bait; unattended line; $125 fine; six months probation.
