Saving Seafood

Searchable Maine fishing laws to make compliance easier

January 19, 2021 — The newest version of Maine’s fishing laws includes a searchable database designed to make it easier for anglers to comply with the rules.

The website allows fishermen to search by water body, town, county or fishing code. That allows anglers to search terms such as “fly fishing only” and “open to open water fishing” to get a better idea of where they can fish.

The state website also includes a map-based online tool called FLOAT, which stands for Fishing Laws Online Angling Tool. It allows fishermen to easily find out which of the thousands of inland waterways in Maine have special fishing rules.

Read the full story at the Caledonian Record

Groups still want state to consider Atlantic salmon for endangered status

October 15, 2020 — After being rebuffed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Department of Marine Resources, a group of conservation groups and individuals is remaining steadfast in its effort to have the state conduct an investigation into whether Atlantic salmon deserve inclusion on the Maine list of endangered species.

In June, that group of 10 groups and six individuals wrote to the DIF&W seeking an investigation. However, a month later in July, DIF&W commissioner Judy Camuso and marine resources commissioner Patrick Keliher replied saying they didn’t think state listing was needed, citing ongoing federal Endangered Species Act protection for the species, and cooperation between state, federal and non-governmental organizations on salmon conservation efforts.

Read the full story at the Bangor Daily News

Maine Is Literally Dropping Fish Out of Low-Flying Airplanes, and It’s Mesmerizing

October 21, 2015 — Video of a man “aerial dropping” live fish into a pond from a low-flying plane has become a minor sensation after the footage was uploaded to the Facebook page of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. The video has so far gotten more than 25,000 views.

“The department annually stocks over 1 million fish throughout the state, utilizing a variety of methods that include flying fish by airplane into remote ponds,” the department wrote in the video description. “The fish are loaded into tanks that are attached to the pontoons on the aircraft, stocking locations are verified and then the planes take off. The tanks are then emptied when flying over the water. The department generally stocks over 180 waters each year by airplane.”

Read the full story at News.Mic