An Oregon man is facing serious charges after he allegedly broke into a fish hatchery and poured bleach into a rearing pond killing 18,000 young salmon.
22-year-old Joshua Alexander Heckathorn admitted to trespassing into the Gardiner, Reedsport, and Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program hatchery on Monday and pouring a gallon of bleach into the hatchery tank.
The alleged action killed 18,000 smolt Chinook salmon between 3 and 4 inches long and set for release into Winchester Bay by June.
“The economic driver of these fish is huge. This is not little. This is considered the biggest poaching incident in Oregon history, I think. It’s monstrous,” Hatchery President Deborah Yates said.
Heckathorn was charged with second-degree burglary, criminal trespass, and criminal mischief. He was booked into the Douglas County Jail on Tuesday.
“I think he’s going to live to regret what he did. It just makes no sense.”
