06/27/2006
A Vermilion Parish resident, Edward G. Saal Jr., 52, of Gueydan pled guilty on
June 15 in Federal Court in Lafayette to violations of the Migratory Bird Treaty
Act.
On Jan. 5, 2006, agents observed Saal hunting ducks south of Gueydan. Saal shot
19 ducks including 12 pintails, five mallards (three of which were hens) and two
widgeons. The limit for ducks is six per person per day, only one of which may
be a pintail, only four of which may be mallards and of the mallards, only two
may be hens. Saal was also using lead shot while hunting ducks.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Mildred Methvin sentenced Saal to pay a $500 fine plus a
$10 assessment for the over limit charge and a $350 fine plus a $10 assessment
for the toxic shot charge. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $100 per duck
totaling $1,900 bringing the total to $2,770 in fines. Additionally, he was
sentenced to one year of unsupervised probation that includes the revocation of
his hunting privileges world-wide.
Agents participating in the case were Special Agent Phillip Siragusa with the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Senior Agent Lonnie Campbell with the
Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Enforcement Division. The case
was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mickel.
|