CALIFORNIA BRIEFING / SACRAMENTO

California game wardens have arrested seven Sacramento-area men on suspicion of poaching rare sturgeon from the Sacramento River in Colusa County.

The Department of Fish and Game said the men used young salmon for bait, then sold their illegal catches.

Lt. John Laughlin said wardens found evidence that Ivan Banatskyi had helped illegally kill at least 18 fish since October. He was free on $15,000 bail after his arrest Friday.

Laughlin said sturgeon can sell for $2,000 to $4,000 per fish. Females with eggs are more valuable, with black-market caviar selling worldwide for $150 to $200 per jar.

Also arrested were Sergey Sokalskiy, Andrey Bukaty, Petr Kolosov, Yevgeniy Leontyuk, Alexandr Paripa and Serhiy Omelchuck, all from Sacramento or its suburbs.