No live fish as bait’ is now the default rule in northern Maine
“Last week the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s advisory council approved a rule that sounds ominous, but will actually change very little for the state’s anglers. - John Holyoke, Bangor Daily News”
As reported by NFC earlier, Maine has just imposed sweeping regulation changes that will prohibit the use of live fish as bait in the critically important North Zone, home to most of the states wild native brook trout and Arctic charr.
Two years in the making, and initiated by George Smith with support from NFC National Vice Chair Bob Mallard and Maine Chair Emily Bastian, this is the the most important wild native fish initiative in Maine since the passing of the State Heritage Fish law, and one could argue even more so due to the amount of water it protects.
“The new rule in the critically important north zone that prohibits the use of live fish as bait by rule, not exception, is a huge step forward in regard to protecting and preserving Maine’s wild native fish. It is the single most important wild native fish initiative since the State Heritage Fish law was passed in 2005. - Bob Mallard ”
Nonnative golden shiners are highly invasive to brook trout
Make no mistake about it, invasive fish, not habitat degradation, is the #1 immediate threat to Maine’s wild native trout. and it’s not just gamefish such as bass, pike, and muskies, threatening Maine’s native salmonids, it’s also smelts, shiners, and other bait species. The changes imposed go a long wat toward addressing that.