cbeagler
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Illegal Gill Net
Published: June 1, 2011 3:53 PM EST
Updated: June 1, 2011 3:53 PM EST Last Fisherman, vessel searched during Erie inquiry into suspected illegal fishing By TIM HAHN, Erie Times-News tim.hahn@timesnews.com
Officials with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission said they seized gill nets and other items from an Erie commercial fishing operation today as part of an investigation into suspected illegal fishing practices.
Waterways conservation officers collected the items from Big Tony-The Last Fisherman, a business on East Lake Road, and from "The Big Tony," a fishing vessel owned by Gerald D. Mathers, after serving search warrants on both locations today.
Officers who were at the East Lake Road location would not comment this morning. An official reached at the Fish and Boat Commission's regional office near Meadville this afternoon said that investigators were out of the office and unavailable for comment.
Gerald Mathers and Aaron Mathers, who was also listed in the search warrant, also could not be reached for comment this afternoon.
Investigators said in the search warrant that they were looking for items that included nets and other equipment designed to catch fish by entanglement.
According to the affidavit of probable cause that was filed with the warrant, investigators had received a report from the owner of a fishing vessel who said his anchor had gotten caught on some nonconforming nets in early May. The type of netting is commonly referred to as gill nets, according to the affidavit.
Gill nets were banned in commercial fishing in Pennsylvania in 1996, according to investigators.
No charges have been filed in the investigation.
See Thursday's Erie Times-News and GoErie.com for more details.
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Ironhed
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/01 22:47:41
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It's about time.
If found guilty I sure would hope his license is revoked!
Ironhed
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Skip16503
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/01 23:06:02
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I heard about that the day it happened we wondered what ever came of it that was about a month ego
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Mr.Slickfish
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 07:01:55
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Looks like Joe Roots is out of perch. Hang em high 
I don't always snag fish, but when I do... I choose Little Cleos I'm the best looking smartest snagging poacher alive...
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BloodyHand
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 07:13:32
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HEY, that's my cousin. And go ahead and TRY to survive being a commercial fisherman in Erie PA! Not saying what he was doing was right, just saying put yourself in his shoes, and see if you can make the bills. Gives a whole new meaning to sNaGr doesnt it...........LOL.
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D-nymph
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 09:26:22
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ORIGINAL: BloodyHand
HEY, that's my cousin. And go ahead and TRY to survive being a commercial fisherman in Erie PA! Not saying what he was doing was right, just saying put yourself in his shoes, and see if you can make the bills. Then he should choose another career. Looks like the PFBC will be helping him with that decision.
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RIZ
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 09:46:55
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soory blood but that excuse just does not cut it. there are legal means of providing for your family. now what are they going to do? who's fault is that going to be. if he wanted to be a gill net fisherman, then go where it's legal.
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TastyTrout
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 11:14:47
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ORIGINAL: D-nymph
ORIGINAL: BloodyHand
HEY, that's my cousin. And go ahead and TRY to survive being a commercial fisherman in Erie PA! Not saying what he was doing was right, just saying put yourself in his shoes, and see if you can make the bills.
Then he should choose another career. Looks like the PFBC will be helping him with that decision.
+1
Men and fish are alike. They both get into trouble when they open their mouths. Jimmy D Moore
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Pie
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 11:31:29
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I've seen those gill nets set up out there for years, always assumed they were legal...
Pretty ballsy move...or just plain stupid...no offense.
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bulldog1
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 16:10:23
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**commander** 
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 16:22:40
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niiiiiiiccce. i connected jerry mathers and the beaver but not that pic and episode. what a great episode and show. just sayin'
"I'm sick of all the fairytale stories of how this is destiny and how the saints have rebuilt new orleans.Sorry but you can write the script anyway you want but the actors(sean payton and crew)do not have the talent to step on the stage."---Logan Wade
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**commander**
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 16:27:06
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ORIGINAL: Pie
I've seen those gill nets set up out there for years, always assumed they were legal...
Pretty ballsy move...or just plain stupid...no offense.
...or they were known about all along, however, backs were turned until it became too public to look the other way. just sayin'
"I'm sick of all the fairytale stories of how this is destiny and how the saints have rebuilt new orleans.Sorry but you can write the script anyway you want but the actors(sean payton and crew)do not have the talent to step on the stage."---Logan Wade
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psu_fish
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/02 18:17:11
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ORIGINAL: Ironhed
It's about time.
If found guilty I sure would hope his license is revoked!
Ironhed
and his boat
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FiveMilePete
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/03 03:21:21
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ORIGINAL: Mr.Slickfish
Looks like Joe Roots is out of perch.
Hang em high
Mathers will truly be the Last Fisherman.
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FiveMilePete
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/03 03:24:07
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......................
post edited by FiveMilePete - 2011/06/03 03:28:02
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no-time
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/03 12:41:08
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don't know if gill nets are legal.or not in new york
but last year sitting on my deck over looking the lake at dusk
i'm just over the pa. line but in n y i watched a n y plated boat
with gill nets that.was only out a few hundred pulling in gill
caught fish of all sizes and kinds
they seemed to keep all from which i could see from my binocs
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psu_fish
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RE: Illegal Gill Net
2011/06/03 18:25:32
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I'm pretty sure Canada still has a sizeable gill net fishery on perch
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