BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 23, 2023
Maine fishing regulations consider Arctic charr part of the brook trout family, along with splake and actual brook trout. But the fish are unrelated and face different conservation needs. Brook trout are relatively common in Maine. Splake are a hatchery-raised hybrid. Arctic charr, on the other hand, are an exceedingly rare fish, occurring in just 12 native waters in Maine. They are also a state level Tier 1 (Highest Priority) Species of Greatest Conservation Need. What message are we sending when we group a rare species with a hatchery-raised hybrid? Arctic charr deserve to stand on their own, while receiving more protection than they are getting today in regard to the daily bag/possession limit. ~ Bob Mallard