BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 26, 2025
In a recent column, V. Paul Reynolds defended harvesting wild native brook trout while challenging those who practice catch-and-release. He invoked ethics and spoke for the Native Fish Coalition. I am the executive director for Native Fish Coalition, and here is my response. Ethics is personal. We are not opposed to the sustainable harvest of wild native fish. We are, however, opposed to harvest that results in noticeable decreases in population size, geographic distribution or age/size-class distribution — all of which can negatively impact populations and lead to calls for stocking. I admire every wild native brook trout I catch. I simply choose to release them. Practicing zero-harvest and encouraging others to do so doesn’t undermine conservation — it promotes it as a personal choice. Reynolds’ misrepresentation of Native Fish Coalition only serves to pit sportsmen against sportsmen. ~ Bob Mallard