Sometime over the Veteran’s Day holiday weekend, a person or persons illegally killed and filleted nearly 100 smallmouth bass. The carcasses were then unlawfully dumped along the banks of the Susquehanna River. The fish were left in piles near the uppermost railroad underpass off Market Street in Duncannon.

The bass ranged in size from 11 to 17 inches in length; the adjacent section of the Susquehanna River is managed under special regulations requiring that bass must be a minimum of 18 inches to be legally harvested at this time of the year. The daily creel limit is a maximum of two bass per angler in this area. It is unlawful to fillet fish having a minimum size limit or closed season until the fish have arrived at the place of consumption.

“The wanton waste in this instance is appalling,” said PFBC Executive Director Douglas Austen. “The willful disregard for the regulations that preserve natural resources for the benefit of all Pennsylvanians is an affront to anglers and non-anglers alike. We’d like to hear from anyone who can contribute to our ongoing investigation.”

The Commission is interested in information from the public that would aide in the identification and apprehension of the responsible person or persons. Anyone with information regarding this case is encouraged to immediately contact the PFBC’s Southcentral Region Bureau of Law Enforcement at 717-486-7087 or e-mail Regional Law Enforcement Manager Donald Lauver at dolauver@state.pa.us.

All leads received will be treated as confidential.