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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Bureau of Law Enforcement

    Fish and Boat Commission Waterways Conservation Officers are police officers who help to protect the Commonwealth's aquatic resources, the fish that inhabit them and the anglers and boaters that utilize them.  

    Waterways Conservation Officers Role

    Waterways Conservation Officers (WCOs)enforce fishing, boating and environmental laws and regulations. The officers patrol streams, rivers and lakes on foot, in vehicles and on boats.  Our officers engage with the public in outreach events like stocking waterways with fish, leading fishing programs and boating safety courses.

    Our WCOs also investigate the illegal commercialization of native species, illicit trafficking of wildlife, and work to stop practices that cause damage to the environment. Our bureau of law enforcement partners with other wildlife agencies in investigations that fall outside of the PFBC jurisdiction to support conservation protection in neighboring states and across the country. 

    If you see anything suspected to be a pollution, disturbance, or poaching on any waterway, regardless of how seemingly insignificant, report it immediately by calling the local PFBC Region Law Enforcement office during business hours (8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday) or call the PFBC toll-free hotline: 855-347-4545 to leave a message.

    A pollution or disturbance may also be reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection at 1-800-541-2050 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).​