FALL CITY, WA—Police today are investigating an overnight break-in at the Tokul Creek hatchery, where so-called “steelhead bandits” released approximately 25,000 contraband fish into the Snoqualmie River.
According to a King5.com article, state fish and wildlife managers believe the act of trout terrorism could have stemmed from a lawsuit filed (and won) by the Wild Fish Conservancy earlier this month. As a result of the proceedings between WFC and the State, WDFW announced it would cease hatchery plantings of all “Chambers Creek” steelhead populations in most Puget Sound tributaries.
“Whoever struck the Tokul Creek facility on the Snoqualmie appeared to know the hatchery was planning to truck its large inventory of steelhead to the east side of the state where they would be released into lakes that would not allow them to migrate to the Sound.”
