A Hood Canal shrimp poacher has been handed down a 30-day electronic home monitoring sentence after being caught with a hefty illegal haul. Curtis Scott Grout, whose actions were captured during a recreational shrimp opener on May 17, 2024, was sentenced earlier this month in Jefferson County District Court by Judge Mindy Walker according to a report by WDFW.
In Hood Canal, shrimp fishing is tightly controlled, with only a few designated days per year open for fishing, frequently consisting of a mere four-hour window. Each fisherman's daily catch is restricted to 80 shrimp, a limit that Grout exceeded by a significant margin. Prowling the waters during the opener, undercover Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Police Officers spotted Grout and two others pull out an overflowing pot of shrimp and dump them into their vessel, neglecting to count them as required by law. Racing towards the shore after having been observed disregarding the quota, Grout was seen tossing shrimp overboard by the patrolling officers instructed to stop his boat.
Despite initial attempts by Grout to dispose of evidence, authorities recovered an excess of shrimp. In a plain declaration of the events, "Officers observed a large basket containing well over the men’s three daily limits of shrimp," WDFW reported. The officers counted a total of 680 shrimp, more than twice the combined legal limit of 240 for the three men on board.
Charged with possession of twice the daily limit of shellfish, Grout faced a jury trial in Jefferson County District Court. According to testimony during the trial, "you cannot control how many shrimp that you get in a pot while it is in the water, but it is what you do with them once they are on the boat that matters." In a vindicating end to the trial, the jury found Grout guilty of the charges.
The state highlighted Grout's previous history with commercial fishing licenses and multiple violations, along with pending felony charges for trafficking in wildlife, to paint a picture of deliberate noncompliance with fishing regulations. Appreciation was extended by WDFW Police towards the vigilant witnesses who flagged the suspect behavior and the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s office for their efforts in securing the conviction. The case serves as a stern reminder of the consequences of flouting the laws designed to protect and sustainably manage the region's marine resources.
