Hope this isn't spoiling a future episode, but a partner boat of Big Valley was arrested and impounded for fishing with 14 illegal pots that belonged to Big Valley.

Sea Warrior was carrying 14 pots belonging to Big Valley out to the fishing grounds in addition to her own 70 pots. Alaskan Fish and Game had placed a limit of 70 pots per boat on this season. It's not illegal for a bigger boat to carry pots for a smaller boat, but it seems the Sea Warrior fished all 84 pots.

http://www.dps.state.ak.us/pio/dispatch/Trooper%20Dispatches%20of%2001-25-2005.20050125.txt

Location: Dutch Harbor
Case number: 05-5239
Type: Commercial Crabbing Violations
Text: On Saturday, January 15, 2005, Alaska State Troopers, Alaska
Bureau of Wildlife Enforcement, in Dutch Harbor received information
that the F/V Sea Warrior had transported to the tanner crab fishery
approximately 15 commercial tanner crab pots belonging to the F/V Big
Valley, in addition to their own legal limit of 70 pots. The F/V Big
Valley sank at approximately 0700 hours on 1/15/05 with the loss of the
skipper and four crew members; prior to the opening of the crab fishery
at noon. The crew of the F/V Sea Warrior placed and fished the
approximately 15 pots belonging to the F/V Big Valley along with their
own pots. The P/V Stimson, with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard and
the vessel monitoring system, was able to locate where the F/V Sea
Warrior was fishing. The P/V Stimson inspected gear and seized 14 pots
that were being fished illegally.
On Saturday, January 22nd a search warrant was obtained, and served on
the F/V Sea Warrior. The crab was turned over to the processor and receipt
will be held pending a decision by the court. The investigation is
continuing.
Author: gjw
Received and posted Tuesday, January 25, 2005 9:51 AM

See also http://www.adn.com/front/story/6080598p-5970032c.html

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and just say... What the heck was the skipper supposed to do? Just leave 15 empty pots on his boat? Stop fishing and return to port to drop them off? I'm not saying that it was right that he used them. It was clearly an unfair advantage if they were limited to 70 pots, but you just have to wonder what anyone else would have done in the same circumstance. It's not like they had left port with the intention to break the law. They were doing another boat a favor. Considering the loss of the Big Valley, and the time they spent trying to help search for survivors. I can understand the urgency they might have felt to try to get as much crab as they could with the time they had left.

I also think if anyone should pay the price it should be the skipper. It had to be his final decision of what to do with the pots. There is no way a deckhand could just say "I'm not fishing with those pots" they would not have the ability to defy the skipper like that. Can you imagine just being a normal deckhand, working your tail off, losing fellow fishermen and possibly friends, then to have the hard earned money you made taken away from you because of something like this.

I'm curious to see what others (especially those who fish for a living) would have to say about this, and honestly what they think the skipper realistically should have done.

regardless of what one thinks is right and what one thinks is wrong, fishing another boat's gear is illegal. what the captain did is wrong. The captain of the sea warrior broke the law by transporting another boats gear to the fishing grounds, then fished that same gear after the other boat sank. We have a pot limit and you are not to exceed that limit for anything. The rules strictly state that if your boat is 124 feet and under you got 70 pots for that season. if your boat was 125 or greater you got 90 pots. they broke the rules and they got caught. This is the same boat that fished during the price strike of '97 so I have no sympathy for the skipper and most of the other skippers feel the same as I do

What they did is so low...

Is this true. let's talk to the captain. I douht this true. Imean it's illegal (if it's true)

I agree. Rules are rules and any way you look at it what he did was wrong.{And the fact that the BIG VALLEY was lost at sea doesn't change the law in anyway}To answer your question BETH. Yes he could have left them on deck and did nothing with them or if I'm not mistaken he could have launched them empty out side out the area he was fishing and pick them back up on his way back to port. Please correct me if I'm wrong about that Kingcrab Porkchop

Whether it was right or wrong, profiting off someone else's misfortune does'nt sit well with most people. !!! BUT, if they caught crab with those pots and donated the monies to the greiving families, then yes, I would use them in a heartbeat...

Well your hearts in the right place but even then you would be breaking the law. For NO reason should he have used the big valley's pots.

I am Gary Edwards' sister, Gary was the Skipper on the Big Valley.Regarding the folks who commented on the Sea Warrior attempting to profit from fishing the Big Valley's pots, I assure you that neither the Skipper- Bret Robinson nor the wonderful Crew of the Sea Warrior had any such intention. For lack of a better term, Bret & Gary were "Sea Brothers" & from the onset of the tragic sinking of the Big Valley Bret & his Crew went above and beyond to assist in the search and rescue and have been an on-going source of love and support to myself and my family.

Dberrado, I am not sure what to say here. I just want you to know that not even knowing your brother, I cried and cried during the episode where the Big Valley sank and thought so much of his family back home. I'm a very family oriented woman and I'm sure that even though you all know the risks, you are never truly prepared for the loss. I can't begin to imagine how I would handle this if I were in your shoes. Thank you for taking the time to post the additional information. I hope I can speak for everyone here in saying that if you need an ear, there will be someone here for you.

Please take care and God Bless,
Vicki

Dberaddo,
So sorry to hear that you lost your brother Gary when the Big Valley sank. I read a great article about his funeral and the eulogies that were given by everyone spoke volumns about the man that he was. It gave me a small glimpse into his life, and he seemed to a good man to so many people in Alaska.
I hope the pain lessens, and that you remember all the good things of his life.
Cheers
Trelawney

Dberrado, Sorry about your loss. It has been a year now. A friend of mine was friends with Aaron M. The pain will linger forever with those who knew those who were lost on the Big Valley. My prayers are with those who lost loved ones that day last year. God Bless!

I'm thinking they are limited to 70 pots for safety reasons. They could be risking their own lives by having that extra weight on board.

That 70 pot limit was in effect because the quota was so small. It makes it easier for Fishand Game to keep tabs on the catch rates and not exceed the Total Allowable Catch(TAC)in the seasons before before rationalization went into effect.

These days there is no pot limit.