Alaska Fishermen Admit to Sinking Boats | Anchorage News

0:00It's September 11th. This is Anchorage News Today, powered by AI. So, we've got three commercial fishermen out in southeast Alaska who are now admitting to sinking their own boats. John Fisher, Joseph Poling, and Tony VanVane, all facing charges have signed plea deals. These cases are connected, but the pattern is pretty clear. They're accused of deliberately sinking their vessels. Fisher, who finalized his deal back on August 27th, got a month in prison and a year of supervised release. He admitted to sinking his boat, the igloo, near Sitka, in March of 2025. The feds pointed out that sinking boats like that can mess with the environment and navigation, which is a big deal in waters that communities rely, just on on. This whole situation touches on a bigger issue in Alaska, abandoned and derelict boats. Keeping boats running is costly, and getting rid of them when they're no longer see worthy isn't cheap either. The state has a list with over 400 abandoned boats just sitting around. Meanwhile, Joseph Poling pleaded guilty on August 7th and is looking at a

1:05recommended $6,000 fine and five years of probation for, sinking the leeward in Thomas Bay. Tony VanVane also pleaded guilty on July 27th, and prosecutors are recommending 30 days in prison and a year of supervised release for. Sinking his boat, the Okai Such. Both Poling and VanVane are set to have their sentences handed down on October 29th. It's a tough situation all around, with these guys facing consequences for actions that also raise environmental concerns.