BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 31, 2022
The United States has numerous official symbols. The American bald eagle is our national bird, the North American bison our national mammal, the rose our national flower and the oak our national tree. One thing we don’t have is a national fish. For four generations, the first Atlantic salmon caught from the Penobscot River each season was sent to the president of the United States. Known as the “Presidential Salmon,” the first went to Pres. William Howard Taft in 1912. The last went to President George H. Bush in 1992. No other species of fish has been so honored. Designating the Atlantic salmon as our national fish would be good for the species and good for Maine. If we don’t do this, someone else will. ~ Bob Mallard, Native Fish Coalition