A Clallam County man has been sentenced to jail for poaching salmon in Washington's Dungeness River during a critical spawning period. Gregory Gallauher received 15 days in jail after pleading guilty to unlawful recreational fishing in a river closed to protect endangered chinook salmon.

Wildlife officers caught Gallauher in September 2022 after receiving reports of possible poaching. The state had closed the river to all fishing to protect spawning chinook, whose populations had crashed to just a few dozen adults in the 1990s. Officers used trail cameras to catch Gallauher and another man trespassing and fishing in the protected area.

This case highlights the ongoing challenges in salmon recovery efforts that have involved significant investments from the state, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, and various NGOs. Dungeness River chinook still face a long road to recovery despite recent habitat restoration projects. The sentence sends a clear message about enforcement of fishing regulations designed to protect endangered species.