Sunset at Martin's Beach, by Marie Susa
“WE WOULD MUCH RATHER PEOPLE CALL AND BE WRONG THAN FOR THEM TO BE RIGHT AND NOT CALL.”
GABRIELLE STAUFFER, GAME WARDEN
The majority of times, O’Brien and Stauffer cite people for fishing without a license or using illegal gear, and occasionally they will encounter a person who is poaching a large amount of crab. Stauffer, who lives in Half Moon Bay, is the only game warden assigned to San Mateo County. She’s been on the job for about two years and is a graduate of San Francisco State University, where she earned a degree in earth sciences. “I love the outdoors and I feel strongly about protecting wildlife,” she said. “This job is more of a boots-onthe-ground role and about making a difference.” For the most part, California game wardens are the only ones enforcing best practices on the water when it comes to fishing. There are about 40 million people in the state. There are
only around 400 game wardens in the field. This creates its own set of challenges for Stauffer and O’Brien, who cover active harbors in the Bay Area. “We rely on the public quite a bit,” Stauffer said. The state agency uses a confidential witness program that allows people to report poachers or polluters. Californians Turn in Poachers and Polluters, or CalTIP, is a tool utilized by game wardens to better enforce illegal activity. “We would much rather people call and be wrong than for them to be right and not call,” Stauffer said. A key part of Stauffer’s job is focused on building relationships with people who live on the Coastside so when something is wrong they can contact her directly. Beyond just monitoring the boats launching and returning from the
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