VERMONT: GOING FROM TWELVE FISH TO EIGHT FISH IS NOT ENOUGH
This is what a daily limit of wild native brook trout on rivers and streams in Vermont looks like.
NFC has lobbied for several years to try to get the daily limit on brook trout, the official State Cold Water Fish, in rivers and streams in Vermont reduced. At 12-fish, it is the highest in the east, and in fact, entire native range of brook trout in the United States.
The fact that nonnative brown trout and rainbow trout, as well as what are mostly stocked trout in lakes in ponds, are afforded better protection than native, and often wild, brook trout in rivers and streams at just 6 fish a day, is a tough position to defend.
NFC has made numerous blog posts about Vermont’s uniquely high daily limit, written several articles that challenge it, developed an informational card (see below) to be handed out at events, and created a detail presentation to show folks how Vermont stacks up against everyone else.
While NFC is pleased to hear that Vermont Fish & Wildlife is considering lowering the daily limit on brook trout in rivers and streams from 12 fish to 8 fish, we do not think this is enough and believe it falls short of what is needed to protect Vermont’s wild native brook trout in perpetuity.
To go through all it takes to change a regulation that has stood for over 60 years, and withstood numerous challenges, and still end up tied for the highest in the native range, and well above all regional averages and most states, seems wasteful. Click here to see comparative data.
Vermont Fish & Wildlife should lead not follow. It is time for Vermont to catch up with everyone else, not simply close the gap a bit more. It is time for Vermont to start providing the same protecting to wild native brook trout, their official State Cold Water Fish, as everyone else.
Even when adjusted to 8-fish, Vermont’s daily limit on wild native brook trout in rivers and streams is out of synch with every state other than Massachusetts and Georgia, the latter of which has limited wild native trout resources. Shouldn’t Vermont be more like Maine than Massachusetts?
This is what a daily limit on brook trout in rivers and streams in Vermont would look like under the current proposal. Does this really look that much better?
