BANGOR DAILY NEWS • May 7, 2025
A recent bill to increase fishing license fees to raise more money for hatcheries got a lot of people talking. Is this what Maine should be promoting? Is stocking the best use of our limited funds? During public hearings, some said that anglers want, and in fact expect, more and bigger stocked trout. Are we obligated to provide this? Can we afford to do so? Who should pay for these fish? Stocking is rooted in the belief that trout should be unlimited. How did we get to the point where stocked fish are so universally accepted by trout anglers? Trout stocking is an economic black hole. The cost to raise fish continues to go up. The belief that trout should be unlimited is flawed economically and ecologically. It’s time to reduce stocking, not increase it. ~ Bob Mallard