BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 12, 2021
While most Maine conservation non-profits are focused on habitat degradation, the number one threat to our wild native fish is nonnative fish introductions. While dams are the primary cause of the decline in endangered Atlantic salmon and other anadromous fish, nonnative fish introductions have compromised more inland native fish populations than anything else. Nonnative fish introductions come in three primary flavors: Deliberate acts of “bucket biology,” accidental release resulting from the use of live fish as bait, and state-sponsored stocking. Native fish are important to Maine, and something that sets us apart from other states. If we want to keep them from going away, nonnative fish will have to become more of a focus than they are today. ~ Bob Mallard