9 charged in illegal catfish harvest operation in Kentucky, Alabama

GLASGOW, Ky. – Multiple people are facing charges in connection with illegal commercial catfish activity, which included harvesting at Barren River Lake.

Kentucky Fish and Wildlife said in a Facebook post made on Tuesday that game warden Cody Fox and the law enforcement division’s Special Investigations Unit began an investigation into illegal commercial catfishing activity, including a Glasgow Pay Lake buying illegally harvested catfish.

Multiple search warrants and fishing compliance checks were conducted during the investigation, officials say.

Fish and wildlife officials say the investigation has found 71 occasions where thousands of pounds of catfish were harvested from Barren River Lake, which is not open to commercial fishing.

These fish were sold to a pay lake in Glasgow, according to officials.

In addition, Fish and Wildlife says two commercial fisherman harvested around 6,400 pounds of live catfish, most of which were trophy-sized, from waterways in Alabama.

Officials say those catfish were also sold to the same pay lake operator in Glasgow. Alabama law reportedly prohibits the transport of trophy-sized catfish outside of the state, authorities say.

Fish and Wildlife says the pay lake operator involved “knowingly purchased the catfish from a restricted waterway, from individuals who were not licensed commercial fishermen, and failed to document any of the transactions as required by law.”

Nine individuals have been charged in this case with a total of 180 related charges in Kentucky. Other charges are pending in additional states, officials say.

The investigation has been a joint effort of Kentucky Fish and Wildlife game wardens, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, Alabama Game and Fish Division and the Barren County Attorney’s Office.