COLUSA COUNTY – On May 27, 2025 the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that Justin D. Lewis of Placer County was sentenced to two years in jail and ordered to pay over $20,000 in fines by a  Colusa County Superior Court judge for his part in a conspiracy to commercialize Pacific lamprey, a jawless fish that Lewis sourced from the Klamath River in Del Norte County and resold through co-conspirators in Colusa County and elsewhere. Lewis was sentenced on May 21, 2025.

Lamprey are highly regarded as bait for sturgeon and other fish, and are usually sourced commercially from Alaska. Because of a temporary downturn in the bait market, Lewis, and others, created an illegal commercial market for California lamprey.

Beyond their value as bait for anglers, lamprey have significant food and cultural value to Yurok tribal members in Del Norte County, as well as other tribal communities in the area.

“This case highlights the critical importance of protecting California’s native species and the ecosystems they support,” said Nathaniel Arnold, Chief of Enforcement at CDFW. “The illegal commercialization of lamprey not only threatens a vulnerable species but also disregards the cultural significance they hold for tribal communities.”

According to CDFW, Lewis will serve one year of his sentence in the Colusa County Jail, while the balance of his sentence will be served on supervised release post incarceration. Lewis’ fishing privilege and other outdoor privileges will be suspended during this time.

“This is an example of what can be accomplished when CDFW law enforcement officers work with local district attorney’s offices to pursue charges and convictions for illegal acts that impact our natural resources,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.