3 Men Accused Of Poaching Salmon From New York Creek

NEWFANE, N.Y. (AP) — Three men are accused of poaching salmon from a New York creek during the annual salmon run.

State officials say conservation officers in Niagara County spotted the men about 2 a.m. Wednesday after coming across several garbage bags of freshly caught salmon. The officers were patrolling the Lake Ontario shoreline and its tributaries, including the Burt Dam area of 18-mile Creek.

One of the men was arrested in a pickup truck. Another was caught hiding in the brush and the third was arrested after swimming across the creek.

Authorities say the men illegally netted 69 salmon weighing from five to 35 pounds.

Sergey Yatchuk of Getzville; Petro Parfenyk of Erie, Pennsylvania; and Mikhail Sakalosh of Spartanburg, South Carolina were jailed on 32 fishing violations.

It's unknown if they have lawyers.

[STORY BY: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS]