CENTRAL MAINE • March 27, 2025
Fly fishing is a quintessential American pastime. Trout stocking has been shown time and time again to disrupt river ecology and native and endangered species. Stocking of brown trout in ecosystems with wild and native brown trout populations has been reported to cause significant genetic changes to wild populations. In Maine, a state known for its truly wild Brook Trout populations, especially in the western and northern regions of the state, it is critical that we prioritize protecting these native populations and surrounding ecosystems when thinking about stocking. Supplying synthetic, hatchery-raised fish that most likely won’t survive to watersheds is not the answer to the decline in native fishing opportunities. ~ Christian Sullivan, Bowdoin College student, environmental studies and history