KENNEBEC JOURNAL • June 28, 2021
When it was announced that Maine’s hatchery system will receive $20 million from the American Rescue Plan, it was stated: “At the core of Maine’s fisheries is Maine’s state hatchery system.” This is a gross misrepresentation. The true core of Maine’s fisheries are our unique wild native fish, including our over 580 legally designated State Heritage Waters, representing the largest inventory of legally protected wild native salmonid waters in the nation. Maine is home to the last Atlantic salmon in the U.S., a federally endangered species. Maine is also home to the last Arctic charr in the contiguous United States, as well as 90% or more of the remaining lake, pond, river, and sea-run brook trout. Maine’s hatchery system is a huge drain on the state’s fisheries and wildlife management budget, a distraction from wild native fish management, a source of pollution, and one of the primary drivers behind Maine’s nonnative fish introductions. ~ Tom Johnson, Maine Chapter of Native Fish Coalition