From today's LA Times

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...=la-home-local

The entire article follows....

Alleged Poacher Dies Tangled in a Trapline
Officials suspect Mark Willey was illegally fishing for lobster when he went
overboard. Friends defend him.
By Kevin Pang and J. Michael Kennedy
Times Staff Writers

March 3, 2004

Mark Willey was a popular figure in the Redondo Beach fishing scene, always
bringing fresh half-and-half to fellow fishermen for morning coffee and
later chatting about the day's catch at Captain Kidd's fish market.

But for several years, the California Department of Fish and Game suspected
Willey of illegally poaching lobsters from restricted areas in Santa Monica
Bay, and last month authorities spent a night on an elaborate stakeout of
his boat.

Early Monday, they came across Willey's empty boat moving in circles off the
coast of Hermosa Beach, with $2,000 worth of lobsters stacked in bins.

They pulled up a lobster trap from 70 feet below the surface and found
Willey's body, a rope tangled around his legs.

Authorities believe he was night fishing for lobster — which is illegal —
and kept his lights off to avoid detection. They suspect he didn't see that
a rope was wrapped around his leg when he hoisted the trap into the water,
and it pulled him overboard.

"He was trying to conceal his purpose, to thwart the responsibilities of the
Fish and Game Department," said Hermosa Beach Harbor Patrol spokesman Paul
Wolcott. "He paid the ultimate price in doing that illegal behavior."

Friends and family, mourning his death Tuesday, said authorities were wrong
about the 37-year-old. They described him as a hard worker who was unfairly
targeted along with other lobster fishermen by state marine officials.

"It's one speck that overshadows his life," said his wife, Candace Willey.
"They put tons of pressure on [fishermen], always trying to shut down their
fishing spots. They're always trying to shut down their livelihoods. It's
always been a heartache."

Around Captain Kidd's, Willey was known as the Gentle Giant for his 6-foot-5
frame and good looks.

"He's an honest, hard-working person," said John Mills, owner of the fish
market, where Willey sold his seafood for the last 15 years. "He was like a
member of the family that you worked with every day, a family member that
you got along with."

Willey grew up in the South Bay and was never far from the ocean. At age 12,
he got a job as a maintenance boy on a barge located a mile off the coast of
Redondo Beach. The experience, friends said, sparked a lifelong love for the
ocean and fishing.

He attended Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach. He was a standout
volleyball player, good enough to make the professional circuit if he had
not hurt his wrist, said Candace Willey. From there, he quickly began his
career as a fisherman.

The state Department of Fish and Game had suspected Willey of poaching
lobster for nearly a decade, but never had enough evidence to file charges,
said spokesman Lt. Dan Sforza.

State law prohibits lobster trapping in certain areas along the coast. It
also restricts fishermen from hunting lobster at night in many areas. The
goal, officials said, is to prevent a small group of fishermen from
collecting the entire lobster catch.

From fishing in restricted areas, to illegal trap configurations and license
violation, lobster poachers account for hundreds of violations off
California's coast, Sforza said. The misdemeanor offense can carry a $1,000
fine and up to six months in jail. Repeat offenders may lose their permits.

On a cold night in mid-February, Sforza and five other wardens from the
California Department of Fish and Game gathered at their Los Alamitos
headquarters to plan a stakeout on Willey. They said they had received a tip
that Willey was poaching lobsters that night in Santa Monica Bay, where
trapping is banned.

Sforza briefed the other wardens about what they would be doing throughout
the all-night stakeout. When he finished, the group split up. Wardens Rod
Buckler and John Potter headed for Long Beach, where they boarded a patrol
skiff.

Wardens Christian Carbo and Rob Rojas towed their skiff to the bay, while
Rebecca Hartman took her place in a parking lot where she had a clear view
of Willey's boat. Her job as lookout was to radio the others when Willey
headed out to sea.

Once before, they said, they had tried to follow him, but he had turned off
all running lights and escaped in the darkness.

But at 5 a.m., it was apparent Willey was not going to empty a set of traps
that were connected by ropes in the bay.

"I don't think he was coming out tonight," said Potter, as the first glimmer
of light appeared in the east.

"Well, I guess you were right," Buckler replied.

Willey's family said state officials had been harassing the fisherman
unfairly. They point out that he was never charged with wrongdoing despite
all the scrutiny. "You won't find anyone who would say a bad word against
Mark," Mills said.