Good News for Maine Atlantic Salmon
Stocked nonnative brown trout from the Kennebec River in maine
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) has reversed course in regard to a proposal to stocking nonnative brown trout in Patrick Lake in Washington County. Patrick Lake is located in the headwaters of the East Machias River, a designated Atlantic salmon watershed.
As noted in the proposal above, a prior brown trout stocking program on the lake was suspended in 2004 due to, “public concern for stocking brown trout within an Atlantic salmon drainage.” In fact, the lake has not been stocked with any salmonid since 2005.
While the proposal to stock Patrick Lake was not killed outright, brown trout were removed from consideration. The lake will however be stocked with brook trout in the fall in an effort to create a put-and-take ice fishing fishery:
“The proposal to stock Patrick Lake in Marion Twp. is approved with the modification that brown trout will not be stocked. The main objective of this program was to create a put-and-take opportunity for both species. Recent evaluations suggest that brown trout are underperforming as a put-and-take opportunity in many waters. Additionally, brown trout hold-over and returns to the angler are limited in marginal/homothermic waters. This program is approved for the stocking of brook trout only. The stocking rate of fall yearling brook trout may be adjusted to reflect the removal of brown trout from the proposal (likely 2-4 fall yearling brook trout per acre; dependent upon availability). -MDIFW”
NFC in partnership with Downeast Salmon Federation and other organizations formally opposed the plan to stock brown trout in Patrick Lake, citing concerns about the possible negative impact on federally, and critically, endangered Atlantic salmon:
