NFC Executive Director Bob Mallard on Stocking Costs and Who Pays...
A fin-clipped stocked brook trout caught from Maine’s fabled Rapid River, arguably the finest wild native brook trout river wholly in the United States…
“Stocking is rooted in the belief that trout should be unlimited...”
NFC Executive Director Bob Mallard recetly wrote about the cost of trout stocking in Maine, a state rich in wild native trout resources, where the money comes from, who pays for what, and whether this is the best use of our limited funds.
While early posts were mixed but leaning in Bob’s favor, online commenting associated with the article was shut off within 24 hours, indicating that this is certainly a contensious issue…
“We stock waters where trout can’t survive for more than a couple of weeks due to warm water. We stock trout on top of bass and pike...”
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Note: In a newsletter published just days after Bob’s article ran, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stated that, “Stocking helps maintain healthy trout and landlocked salmon populations.” What is healthy about stocked fish? What about their impact on wild fish, especially wild native fish?
May 9, 2025, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Newsletter…