amending maine's state heritage fish law - adding waters

THE CRITERIA FOR ESTABLISHING THE ORIGINAL

“HERITAGE FISH” LIST IN 2005 WERE AS FOLLOWS…

§212-A. State heritage fish

The eastern brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, is a state heritage fish.

§12461. Native brook trout waters

1. Adoption of initial list of native brook trout waters. The

commissioner shall adopt by rule a list of native brook trout waters

composed of lakes and ponds that contain eastern brook trout and have

never been stocked according to any reliable records.

THE LAW WAS AMENDED IN 2007 TO INCLUDE RARE

ARCTIC CHAR…

§212-A. State heritage fish

1. Eastern Brook Trout. The eastern brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis,

is a state heritage fish.

2. Arctic Charr. The subspecies of the arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus

oquassa, also known as blue-back charr, is a state heritage fish.

§12461. State heritage fish waters

1. Adoption of state heritage fish waters. The commissioner shall

adopt by rule a list of state Heritage fish waters composed of lakes

and ponds that contain state heritage fish and have never been

stocked according to any reliable records.

THE CRITERIA WAS AMENDED IN 2013 TO INCLUDE

WATERS THAT HAD NOT BEEN STOCKED IN 25 YEARS

OR MORE…


1. Adoption of state heritage fish waters. The commissioner shall

adopt by rule a list of state heritage fish waters composed of lakes and

ponds that contain state heritage fish, as defined in Title 1, section 212-

A. This list must include waters identified as eastern brook trout waters

and arctic charr waters that have never been stocked according to any

reliable records authorized for adoption by Resolve 2005, chapter 172,

as amended, and waters identified as eastern brook trout waters and

arctic charr waters that according to reliable records have not been

stocked for at least 25 years.

THE RULES FOR ADDING WATERS TO THE HERITAGE

LIST ARE AS FOLLOWS…


2. Addition of waters to list. The commissioner may adopt rules to

amend the list established under subsection 1 to add a lake or pond if

that lake or pond meets criteria established by the commissioner for

classifying a lake or pond as a state heritage fish water.

PER IFW COMMISSIONER WOODCOCK, THE POLICY

FOR ADDING WATERS TO THE HERITAGE LIST ARE…

1. Has to be a lake or pond

2. Cannot be stocked within the last 25 years inter/intra specific

stocking

3. Must be a Principal Fishery

4. Waters need to support all life stages

5. Cannot be a water planned for a restoration project

6. Social concerns

“A LAKE OR POND IS DEEMED TO HAVE A PRINCIPAL FISHERY IF THE

SPECIES IS REGULARLY SOUGHT AFTER BY ANGLERS AND MAKES UP A

SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR CATCH.”

THERE ARE NO BIOLOGICAL,

ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL REASONS WHY

THE RULES FOR ADDING NEWLY

DISCOVERED WATERS, OR THOSE

THAT REACH THE “25 YEARS SINCE

LAST STOCKING” THRESHOLD, TO THE

HERITAGE LIST SHOULD BE

DIFFERENT THAN THE CRITERIA USED

TO ESTABLISH THE LISTS…

PROPOSED AMENDMENT…

CHANGE THE CRITERIA FOR ADDING WATERS TO

THE HERITAGE LIST SO THAT IT IS CONSISTENT

WITH THAT USED TO CREATE THE INITIAL LISTS…


2. Addition of waters to list. The commissioner must adopt rules to

amend the list established under subsection 1 to add a lake or pond if

that lake or pond has been identified as an eastern brook trout water or

an arctic charr water that has never been stocked according to any

reliable records authorized for adoption by Resolve 2005, chapter 172,

as amended, or a water identified as an eastern brook trout water or

arctic charr water that according to reliable records has not been

stocked for at least 25 years.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

CONSIDERATION AND

SUPPORT …

amending maine's state heritage fish law - adding waters

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