Maine's Bald Mountain Pond Gets Rare Arctic Charr Signs
A sad reminder of what was there and why it might be lost… (Samuel Belliveau)
“The Bald Mountain Pond Arctic charr population is crashing under the weight of both nonnative smelt and nonnative lake trout”
Recently, NFC volunteer Samuel Belliveau went to Bald Mountain Pond to post rare Arctic Charr informational signs. It was the 10th wild native Arctic charr water in Maine to receive signs.
“Sadly, the sign at Bald Mountain Pond is as likely to denote what was there as it is what is there.”
Sadly, the sign at Bald Mountain Pond is as likely to denote what was there as it is what is there. While they are still likely there, the Arctic charr population in Bald Mountain Pond is unfortunately crashing under the weight of nonnative smelt and nonnative lake trout, both of which are considered highly invasive.
Smelt compete with Arctic charr for food and space, and they can prey on them as well. Lake trout do the same, and can also hybridize with Arctic charr. Both species have been blamed for the demise of Artic charr elsewhere, and it’s unlikely the charr of Bald Mountain Pond will fare any differently.
The smelt show once again that Maine needs to do much more than it is doing with regard to the use of live fish as bait. What’s more important, angling preferences or the health of the fishery and rare wild native fish?
It’s quite possible that the lake trout entered the pond as a result of non-target stocking. It would not be the first time this has happened, as fish sometimes jump tanks and get mixed in with other species. This shows another risk in regard to stocking over, or even near, wild native fish.
I will be writing about this in the near future. Like Sebago Lake, Moosehead Lake, etc., there is more to the story…