{"id":2235672,"date":"2024-05-02T14:46:02","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T18:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-allegedly-obliterates-protected-salmon-at-hatchery-with-a-fine-of-750-per-and-18000-dead-fish-he-faces-13-million-fine\/"},"modified":"2024-05-02T14:51:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T18:51:25","slug":"man-allegedly-obliterates-protected-salmon-at-hatchery-with-a-fine-of-750-per-and-18000-dead-fish-he-faces-13-million-fine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/man-allegedly-obliterates-protected-salmon-at-hatchery-with-a-fine-of-750-per-and-18000-dead-fish-he-faces-13-million-fine\/","title":{"rendered":"Individual Accused of Killing Protected Salmon at Hatchery &#8211; Potential $13 Million Fine for 18,000 Dead Fish"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fman-allegedly-obliterates-protected-salmon-at-hatchery-with-a-fine-of-750-per-and-18000-dead-fish-he-faces-13-million-fine%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2235672&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>An\u200d Oregon \u200dman is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/canadian-lgbtq-activist-ex-president-of-north-peace-pride-society-arrested-for-child-sex-crimes\/\" title=\"Former president of the North Peace Pride Society, a Canadian LGBTQ activist, has been arrested on charges related to child sex crimes\">facing severe charges<\/a> for allegedly killing thousands of young salmon at a hatchery. He could be fined up to $13 million for his actions. The culprit&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/video-musicians-shot-during-performance-in-central-mexico\/\" title=\"VIDEO: Musicians Shot During Performance in Central Mexico\">motive remains unknown<\/a> as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/n-y-asian-american-man-assaulted-in-unprovoked-central-park-attack\/\" title=\"N.Y. Asian American man assaulted in unprovoked Central Park attack\">law enforcement investigates<\/a> the incident. \u200cThe hatchery \u200cfaces significant losses from the tragic event, affecting the region&#8217;s salmon population.\u2063 An Oregon man is \u200bin legal trouble for allegedly causing the \u2062death of numerous young\u200d salmon at a\u2062 hatchery. He could face a hefty $13 million fine. The motive behind his\u2064 actions is unclear, prompting an ongoing investigation by law enforcement. The hatchery suffers substantial losses, impacting the local \u2064salmon population.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/news\/\">  News <\/a>  <\/p>\n<h2>Man Allegedly Obliterates Protected Salmon at Hatchery &#8211; With a Fine of $750 Per and 18,000 Dead Fish, He Faces $13 Million Fine<\/h2>\n<p> <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/johnathanjones\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/johnathanjones\/%20\"><span>Johnathan Jones<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   May 2, 2024 at 10:31am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>An Oregon man is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/u-s-senators-overwhelmingly-condemn-putin-for-navalnys-death\/\" title=\"U.S. Senators Strongly Condemn Putin Over Navalny's Death\">facing numerous criminal charges<\/a> and a potentially hefty fine after he allegedly killed thousands of young salmon at a state hatchery rearing pond two weeks ago with a bottle of bleach.<\/p>\n<p>The Douglas County Sheriff\u2019s Office said 20-year-old Joshua Alexander Heckathorn burglarized a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/800000-chinook-salmon-dead-days-release-californias-state-art-hatchery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hatchery<\/a> near the towns of Reedsport and Gardiner on the central <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/decriminalizing-hard-drugs-oregon-complete-u-turn-learning-hard-way\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oregon<\/a> coast on April 22.<\/p>\n<p>The sheriff\u2019s office said Heckathorn broke into the nonprofit Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program hatchery again on April 23 and was at that time arrested by a deputy.<\/p>\n<p>Police say the suspect admitted to his arresting officer that he handled the bottle of bleach that was used to kill almost 18,000 young Chinook salmon a day earlier. No motive was given.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/panic-salmon-eating-shark-found-landlocked-idaho\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The fish<\/a> were being raised for release into nearby Winchester Bay and are a staple of the Umpqua River.<\/p>\n<p>Heckathorn was arrested and released but faces several misdemeanor charges and one felony charge.<\/p>\n<p>He could also face a fine as high as $13 million.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.opb.org\/article\/2024\/04\/30\/oregon-man-charged-reedsport-hatchery-juvenile-salmon-killed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oregon Public Broadcasting<\/a> reported Heckathorn will be charged with felony <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hunting-influencer-hit-poaching-allegations-19-charges-kinda-lost-words\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">poaching<\/a> of 17,890 Chinook salmon.<\/p>\n<p>The maximum fine in Oregon for poaching even one of the fish is $750, so Heckathorn could owe the state millions of dollars if the maximum penalty is applied to each dead pre-smolt.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Should the accused face the maximum fine?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It was unknown Thursday if the defendant had an attorney.<\/p>\n<p>Heckathorn is also charged with first-degree criminal mischief, exposing chemicals to wildlife and property damage surpassing $1,000.<\/p>\n<p>He could additionally face a lifetime <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/father-daughter-fishing-trip-lake-michigan-results-major-historical-discovery\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">fishing<\/a> ban throughout Oregon.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSolving this case is the result of collaboration and good policework,\u201d Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/DouglasCoSO\/posts\/pfbid0jaGDyUmUsMp99G47e4SqrYpS6UC3VFLU482fUxomMwfahz3ScBiRrYNPgYLxA65ul\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a statement<\/a>. \u201cI am proud of the work done by the deputies and have full confidence that the investigation will aid in holding those responsible accountable for their actions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/umpquastephatchery.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The affected hatchery<\/a> says its volunteers work tirelessly each year to ensure the area\u2019s salmon population thrives.<\/p>\n<p>But the deaths of so many of the pre-smolt fish will be a big loss for the region and beyond in the coming years.<\/p>\n<p>Oregon Public Broadcasting spoke to STEP President Deborah Yates, who explained that roughly one-quarter of the hatchery\u2019s pre-smolt Chinook were killed by a single bottle of chemicals.<\/p>\n<p>Many of those would have made their way up to either <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/alaskan-fisherman-make-frightening-discovery-off-us-coast-hand-fbi-ashore\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Alaska<\/a> or British Columbia and eventually back to where they were released as adults.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, they died leaving volunteers who cared for them for countess hours \u201cdevastated.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yates also said she was surprised a man was accused of killing the pre-smolt with no apparent motive.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIronically, it was Earth Day,\u201d she said. \u201cWe were highly concerned that it was eco-terrorists.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The hatchery has released an average of 200,000 Chinook salmon into Winchester Bay every year since 1992.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>An Important Message from Our Staff:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>In just a few months, the world is going to change forever. The 2024 election is the single most important election of our lifetime. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We here at The Western Journal are committed to covering it in a way the establishment media simply will not: We will tell the truth, and they will lie.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech and the elites don\u2019t want the truth out. That\u2019s why they have cut us off from 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone cut your monthly income by 90%. That\u2019s what they\u2019ve done to people like us. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>As a staff, we are asking you to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to fight this once-in<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/caitlin-clark-lands-historic-nike-shoe-deal-worth-millions-just-before-her-rookie-season-kicks-off\/\" title=\"Caitlin Clark Secures Multi-Million Dollar Nike Deal Ahead of Rookie Season Kickoff\">-a-lifetime fight<\/a>. Without you not only will The Western Journal fail, but America will fail also. As Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Will you support The Western Journal today and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>become a member<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A Western Journal <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>This is the time. America will live or die based on what happens this year. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to get the real truth out and to fight the elites, Big Tech, and the people who want America to fail. Together, we really can save the country.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Thank you for your support!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Please stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44767\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/johnathanjones\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44767\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44767\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44767\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44767\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>Johnathan Jones has worked as a reporter, an editor, and producer in radio, television and digital media.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  Johnathan &#8220;Kipp&#8221; Jones has worked as an editor and producer in radio and television. He is a proud husband and father. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Oregon man is charged with unlawfully destroying thousands of young salmon at a hatchery, risking a $13 million penalty. The accused faces severe legal repercussions for the alleged act<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2006,"featured_media":2235673,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chinook-salmon.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2235672","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Chinook-salmon.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2235672","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2006"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2235672"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2235672\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2235673"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2235672"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2235672"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2235672"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}