The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Operation Muddy Waters was a successful investigation which led to the conviction of two individuals who were found guilty of poaching and trafficking paddlefish and sturgeon from the Ohio River. The culprits were after the fishes’ roe which was destined for international markets.
In August 2022, FWS awarded two whistleblowers $2,000 each for the critical role they played in the development and eventual success of Operation Muddy Waters. The existence of these whistleblower awards was not previously made public and details about them were made available to Whistleblower Network News in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
The two whistleblowers voluntarily contacted FWS through the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources regarding two Illinois commercial roe harvesters who were harvesting significant amounts of paddlefish and sturgeon from the Ohio River.
According to FWS, the culprits’ “illegal fishing operations caused significant damage to both sturgeon and paddlefish populations in the Mississippi River and the Ohio River. A noticeable decline in shovelnose sturgeon populations was observed by other commercial roe harvesters attempting to legally harvest sturgeon roe during the time.”
FWS further notes that “the area this illegal activity was occurring was remote and difficult to conduct surveillance.” The two whistleblowers, who “provided local knowledge and information only a resident of the...
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