George Smith, Maine's most influential outdoor sporting figure, recently passed away. George was a friend of NFC, and a strong ally for native fish. He was a member of Maine NFC’s Advisory Council since soon after NFC was formed, and right up until he passed…
Read MoreSea-run brook trout, or salters, are best described as diadromous, fish that move between freshwater and saltwater. They are sometimes incorrectly referred to as anadromous — saltwater fish that spawn in freshwater, but salters live and spawn in freshwater, moving into saltwater for food and thermal refuge…
Read MoreThe Native Fish Coalition’s mission is to protect, preserve, and restore wild native fish populations through stewardship of the fish and their habitats. Founded in 2017, the group is largely made up of fly fishing and conservation enthusiasts from the Northeast US. They’ve dedicated their work to the memory of Dr. Robert J. Behnke, a prolific fisheries biologist, and hero to trout fishers everywhere…
Read MoreBut they persist in Maine, home to 90 percent or more of the salters found in America today, as much by accident as design…
Read MoreAfter decades of increasing protections for Maine’s unique salmonid resources, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW) is now in a pattern of liberalizing regulations under the guise of “simplification” and “opportunity”…
Read MoreU.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today introduced the River Democracy Act to add nearly 4,700 miles of rivers and streams in Oregon to the national Wild and Scenic Rivers system – the largest Wild and Scenic Rivers effort in our nation's history…
Read MoreA New Hampshire legislator recently advanced a piece of legislation for an individual that would redefine the meaning of brook trout. While well-meaning, and timely as it opens the door for further discussion, it is not the way to do it for several reasons, and it is likely DOA…
Read MoreI enjoyed the book immensely, and was just sitting down to write a review of it for this week’s post…when in my inbox came an email from the author himself! Matt is studying Redeye Bass for his PhD at Auburn, and we made plans to chat about research, but I couldn’t help asking for a Q-n-A. I had a few questions to ask Matt about this cool group of species, and how he came to write the book…
Read MoreNFC knows the path they have chosen is daunting. To assure progress they have assembled a small but dedicated core group of enthusiastic members and supporters in Pennsylvania and other states to move their mission forward…
Read MoreThe name rolls off the tongue like cool water slides through mossy cobbles in a shaded mountain stream. And fitting that it should; it translates to little salmon of the fount, or spring. Eastern brook trout is a member of the salmonid family and shares many physical characteristics, but it is neither a salmon nor a trout. Fish in the Salvelinus genus are collectively called char and, along with the brook trout, include bull trout, lake trout, dolly varden, and Arctic char…
Read MoreBefore you can get people to work to protect something, you need to let them know they are there…
Read MoreThe intention is to raise awareness of wild native fish, raise some money for wild native fish, while emphasizing small wild native fish as something worthy of attention…
Read MoreWhile much of our emphasis is on habitat, nonnative fish are arguably the biggest threat to our native trout today…
Read MoreHow many know that in some states you can stock pretty much whatever you want in a private pond, and without notification, regulation, or oversight, and regardless of any potential impact to public waterways…
Read MoreWhile most Maine conservation non-profits are focused on habitat, the number one threat to our wild native fish is nonnative fish introductions, not habitat degradation…
Read MoreIn all matters of trout management, we want to know that we are substantially correct, both morally and biologically…
Read MoreWhen it comes to protecting our State Heritage Fish waters, Maine can and should do more. It’s time for some consistent and meaningful regulations on all our SHF waters, not just those that had protective regulations before the law…
Read MoreIn the mountains of Virginia, you can find some beautiful, ancient things, but you’ll have to look underwater to see them. Brook trout are relics of the last ice age, left behind when the glaciers receded. They are Virginia’s state fish, the only salmonid native to the Commonwealth…
Read MoreNFC Executive Director Bob Mallard just dropped the first of what will be a series of native fish conservation articles in the Bangor Daily News, one of Maine’s largest newspapers…
Read MoreWhile New Hampshire backslides, Vermont inches slowly forward at the back of the pack, and Maine benefits by citizen-led initiatives when it comes to protecting wild native brook trout, Maryland joins New Jersey in leading the charge…
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