Feds seek anglers’ help in policing Ohio River

Parkersburg, W.Va. (AP) — Federal
authorities are asking fishermen for help in policing Ohio River
islands.

John E. Starcher with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says
fishermen are on the river more than the agency’s law enforcement
personnel.

Starcher spoke Monday night to the Ohio River Restoration
Committee in Parkersburg. He asked fishermen to notify the federal
agency if they see violations such as wildlife baiting, digging or
excavating on the islands or poaching of mussels.

But he cautioned that fishermen should only report violations
and not risk injury by acting on their own.

Starcher is responsible for enforcement around islands in West
Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania.