Five commercial fishermen from Alaska and Washington have been indicted by a federal grand jury, accused of conspiring to illegally harvest more than 10,000 pounds of halibut over a four-year period near Yakutat.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the fishermen, Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat; Vincent Jacobson, 51, of Yakutat; Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat; Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova; and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, each face federal charges under the Lacey Act, a law that prohibits illegal wildlife trafficking.
Prosecutors say the five men, all experienced commercial fishermen, took part in a conspiracy between 2019 and 2023 to violate halibut fishing rules tied to Individual Fishing Quotas, a system designed to sustainably manage halibut harvests in Alaskan waters.
The indictment alleges that Pavlik conspired separately with each of the other defendants to land halibut without being on board their vessels for the full duration of the fishing trips, a violation of federal regulations.
The indictment alleges that Pavlik, Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross intentionally falsely reported that the halibut caught was creditable to their respective Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) permit balances, which is a permit any individual commercially fishing for halibut in the waters off Alaska is required to have. Pavlik and the three co-conspirators are responsible for over 10,700 pounds of illegally harvested halibut.
In a separate incident last fall, Pavlik allegedly sold over 9,600 pounds of illegally caught halibut that was fished aboard a vessel called the Bad Intentions and then transferred to another vessel, New Era, in an effort to conceal its origin before landing it for sale.
Pavlik faces 14 felony charges, including four counts of conspiracy, five counts of unlawful sale, and five counts of false labeling under the Lacey Act. Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross each face one count of conspiracy.
If convicted, each defendant could face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 per count. Court appearances are scheduled in the coming weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble in Anchorage.
The investigation was led by NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement, Alaska Division, with support from the Alaska Wildlife Troopers. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Brickey and Mac Caille Petursson are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation and not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent unless proven otherwise in a court of law.