BANGOR DAILY NEWS • January 9, 2024
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recently published a proposal to stock lake trout in Haymock Lake in the Allagash Region. The goal is to increase lake trout numbers to try to reduce nonnative smelt abundance through predation to protect the lake whitefish population. Lake whitefish are in trouble in Maine with around 50 native populations now listed as extirpated. But lake whitefish are not native to Haymock Lake. MDIF&W acknowledges some number of lake trout stocked in Haymock Lake will find their way into Eagle Lake. In addition to the possibility of genetic swamping, stocking has the risk of introducing hatchery-borne diseases, parasites and viruses, as well as non-target species. Removing from consideration a high quality wild native brook trout water that is just 5 years away from State Heritage Fish designation so we can stock lake trout over wild native lake trout to protect introduced whitefish flies in the face of what our top priority should be, the preservation of wild native fish. ~ Bob Mallard