SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — A fisherman in San Francisco hid fillets of salmon behind a false wall on their boat docked at Pier 45 in an attempt to deceive authorities, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced Monday. In all, officials said the commercial trawl boat owner was caught with over 2,000 pounds of unlawfully caught fish not declared for retail sale.

The angler was under surveillance by CDFW when wildlife officers said they watched them unload a number of burlap sacks off of the boat and into a vehicle. After the fisherman left the scene, authorities found them at a restaurant where they attempted to hide their fish and flee, according to officials.

The boat owner had several halibut, sole, sanddabs and filleted salmon in their possession, which had not been declared as commercial catch as required, CDFW said. Officials found and seized an additional 2,365 pounds of halibut in the investigation.

Wildlife officers said they also found fillets of salmon behind a false wall on the trawl boat. All recreational and commercial salmon fishing in California has been prohibited since 2023 as part of an effort to help populations recover.

Officials said the seized halibut was sold by CDFW, and the proceeds were donated to the Fish and Game Preservation Fund.

A formal complaint in the case was submitted to the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, CDFW said.