BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 19, 2023
Nonnative bass are one of the biggest threats to Maine’s wild native salmonids. Bass introductions have compromised all four native landlocked salmon waters, and imperiled endangered Atlantic salmon in the Penobscot watershed and Down East Maine. They have infested the Kennebec system, including Moosehead Lake and many tributaries. With bass now in the Rapid River, they are on the doorstep of the fabled Rangeley Lakes region and Kennebago watershed. For years, nonnative bass were managed as a game species, afforded as much protection as the most protected wild native brook trout. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is now refusing to protect illegally introduced bass, and everyone who cares about Maine’s natural resources and outdoor heritage should support it. ~ Bob Mallard