OSHKOSH, Wis (NBC 26) -- Wisconsin's top sturgeon biologist, Ryan Koenigs, appeared in Winnebago County court on Tuesday. Koenigs, pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor theft charge filed in connection to an investigation into the caviar trade on lake Winnebago. A signature bond was set at 500-dollars and a jury trial was scheduled for June 15th.
And with that not guilty plea some who spear sturgeon and others who represent local fishing clubs are weighing in on how anglers feel about the DNR's top sturgeon biologist possibly losing his job as a result of the investigation and its findings.
For three years the DNR and the US Fish and Wildlife Service looked into allegations involving DNR workers who were illegally selling or trading sturgeon caviar, a misdemeanor charge. And what they found, allegedly, is that the DNR's top sturgeon biologist was sometimes saving eggs after researching them, rather than throwing them away.
"Should he lose his job? No, not at all. It would be like a policeman losing his job for a speeding ticket," says Don Herman the vice president of the Otter Street Fishing Club.
Herman says the charge of obstructing an investigation and theft, which is what Koenigs is facing, doesn't tell the whole story about the sturgeon caviar that was collected.
"They have jars of eggs and they give them away at some of their volunteer parties and there hasn't been any money exchanged, from what I read in the report."
Herman hopes Koenigs doesn't lose his job over the matter, adding that the majority of fishing clubs on Lake Winnebago feel the same way and are starting to voice their support. But some, including lifelong sturgeon spearer Steven Zaletel say, fishermen in his circles disagree.
"When you're knowingly breaking the law, then telling other people not to do it, everybody I've talked to anyways believes he should be fired from that job."
Zaletel has been spearing with family and friends for the better part of 20 years and while he agrees that a misdemeanor is a relatively minor consequence for the alleged crime, he doesn't believe he or other anglers would be given a pass if they were charged with something similar.
"I've made my mistakes as well in my life and you know what, I paid the consequences when those came along. I think it should be the same for everybody across the board."
