It's Endangered Species Day in Maine, Unless You are an Atlantic Salmon...
Today is Endangered Species Day in Maine, unless you are an Atlantic Salmon... While Atlantic salmon are listed as Endangered at the federal level, and exist in Maine only within the United States, they are not listed as Endangered at the state level in Maine.
Maine has two state-level endangered species programs, Maine Endangered Species Act (MESA) and Maine Marine Endangered Species Act (ESA). The former is administered by Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, while the latter is administered by Maine Department of Marine Resources.
While Atlantic salmon share their life history strategy between freshwater and saltwater, they are technically a saltwater species. As such they should be listed under ESA by MDNR.
“Thirty-six states (or 72% of the total) have laws that require federally listed species to be listed at the state level as well, a fair and common sense practice. Another 4 states ‘Recommended’ or ‘Highly Recommended’ listing federally listed species at the state level. Just ten (or 20%), one of which is Maine, do not require that federal species be listed at the state level.”
NFC and others have tried repeatedly, and unsuccessfully, to get MDIFW and/or MDMR to list Atlantic salmon as Endangered at the state level. This includes spearheading a multi-organization attempt to get Atlantic salmon listed, as well as a similar effort to get all species listed at the federal level and found in Maine listed at the state level.
From 1979 to 1996, Maine had a law that required federally listed species be listed at the state level. An amendment initiated by the Maine legislature changed the law to allow the commissioners of MIFW and MDMR to propose the state-level listing of federally listed species at their discretion, while placing the responsibility for doing so in the hands of the legislature and at their discretion.
“Since 1996, state listing of federally listed species in Maine has been arbitrary and inconsistent. While some federally listed species including several species of whale and shortnose sturgeon have been listed at the state level, Atlantic salmon have not been. Oddly, Atlantic salmon are classified as a Priority 1 Species of Concern at the state level, two levels less than the federal listing.”
That Maine continues its decades long cold war with regard to Atlantic salmon is disappointing. Not only are Atlantic salmon at risk of going away, they are an important part of Maine’s history and lore. Maine’s legacy in regard to these iconic fish should be one of having left no stone unturned, not obstructing and failing to do everything in its power to save them…
