MOUNT VERNON–Officers with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), with the assistance of Mount Vernon police yesterday apprehended a local man who allegedly caught an illegal, 40-pound, threatened wild chinook salmon in the lower Skagit River.

Charles J. Hildebrand, 63, of Mount Vernon today was cited for second-degree unlawful recreational fishing (unlawfully taking and possessing chinook salmon during a closed season), a misdemeanor which carries a penalty of up to $1,000 in fines and 90 days in jail. Because the fish is listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, the fisher also could face federal penalties.

WDFW also seized for the suspect's boat, a 16-foot wooden fishing vessel specifically designed for the Skagit River, for forfeiture.

The salmon, which was seized for evidence by WDFW, was 38.5 inches long.

Photo by Matt Wallis, Skagit Valley Herald Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Officer Terry Abrams holds a 40-pound, threatened spring chinook salmon allegedly caught by a Mount Vernon man yesterday on the Skagit River. The 38.5-inch fish is a Puget Sound chinook, listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Mount Vernon police assisted WDFW officers in contacting the fisher, who faces state penalties of up to $1,000 and 90 days in jail for possession of a chinook taken in a closed season, a misdemeanor, and could face additional federal charges.