The future looks bleak for Maine's wild brook trout

More and more, big, voracious predator fish such as pike and bass have been introduced illegally in forested, cold mountain streams that flow through Maine'sidyllic trout habitat. And state agencies find it nearly impossible to stop it.

If the rate of those illegal introductions continues, the number of wild brook trout waters in Maine will decline, biologists say.

LINK (via: The Kennebec Journal)

Comments

[trap]

Man that sucks!

[Lenny]

I've been wondering if it would be beneficial to hold some sort of pike/bass tournament in the problematic streams. I figure it'd be good to spread awareness and at least kill a couple dozen of the problematic fish.

[DBD]

the sad thing is that the downeast guides--who have a disproportionately powerful grip on the state legislature--have done more for protecting the (non-native) smallmouth populations than any other group has been able to achieve with respect to native brookies (e.g., kill an entire population of native alewives).