Homeless Man Jailed for Catching & Eating Endangered Fish

A 23-year-old homeless man in San Luis Obispo, California has been sentenced to 10 days in jail for catching and cooking a federally protected Central Coast steelhead trout from a creek.

While the sentence is perhaps overly harsh, the fish was a pregnant female, so wildlife experts say his meal caused a severe blow to the struggling species. And anyway, fishing of all kinds is prohibited in the creek.

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The Department of Fish & Game were tipped off to a group of homeless men cooking a fish under a bridge. Victor Manuel Silva admitted to catching the fish and was arrested along with another man who had outstanding warrants.

“Each fish really counts,” said Lt. Dean Hileman. “We are talking about a species that is so critical that some subspecies are in danger of going extinct.

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