Major fishing issues to be debated at legislature

hatchery-BDN-photoI haven’t heard that the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife will submit any legislation this session, so I decided to give the legislature a chance to tackle some major issues. I’ve got outstanding sponsors for these two bills.

Simplify Fishing Rules

DIF&W’s Commissioner, Chandler Woodcock, informed the IF&W Committee last session that his agency would simplify the fishing rule book for 2017 and the fishing rules the following year. That seemed backwards to me. If they simplified the rules first, the rule book would automatically been easier to understand.

The agency also promised to work with anglers – especially the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine – in the effort to simplify the rules. But that has not happened.

This bill, sponsored by Representative Michelle Dunphy, will establish a Commission and charge it with returning to the legislature in 2018 with a list of recommendations that will simplify Maine’s fishing laws and rules. The 10-member commission would be composed of:

Two members of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the House

Two licensed anglers, one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the House

The Commissioner of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Department or the commissioner’s designee

The Fisheries Division Director at the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

One member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council, appointed by DIF&W’s Commissioner

One member of a fish and game club, appointed by DIF&W’s Commissioner

One member of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, chosen by SAM’s executive director

One member of the Maine Professional Guides Association, chosen by the MPGA’s executive director

Hatcheries Commission

This bill, sponsored by Representative Jared Golden, would create an 11-member commission whose duties will include assessing and evaluating salmonid fish culture facilities in Maine and associated production and distribution capabilities, opportunities, needs, and contributions of stocked fish to Maine’s economy. The Commission will be required to submit its report and any accompanying legislation to the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife by January 30, 2018. No major expenditures over $150,000 may be made to repair or upgrade DIF&W’s hatcheries until the report is received and acted on.

The Commission’s membership will be composed of:

Two members of the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the House

Two licensed anglers, one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the House

The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s Hatcheries Superintendent

One fisheries biologist from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, appointed by DIF&W’s Commissioner

One member of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council, appointed by the Council

One member of a Fish and Game Club, appointed by the Commissioner of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife

One member of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, chosen by SAM’s executive director

One member of the Maine Professional Guides Association, chosen by the MPGA’s executive director

One representative of the Maine aquaculture industry, chosen by the Maine Aquaculture Association

George Smith

About George Smith

George stepped down at the end of 2010 after 18 years as the executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine to write full time. He writes a weekly editorial page column in the Kennebec Journal and Waterville Morning Sentinel, a weekly travel column in those same newspapers (with his wife Linda), monthly columns in The Maine Sportsman magazine, two outdoor news blogs (one on his website, georgesmithmaine.com, and one on the website of the Bangor Daily News), and special columns for many publications and newsletters. Islandport Press published a book of George's favorite columns, "A Life Lived Outdoors" in 2014. In 2014, George also won a Maine Press Association award for writing the state's bet sports blog. In 2016, Down East Books published George's book, Maine Sporting Camps, and Islandport Press published George and his wife Linda's travel book, Take It From ME, about their favorite Maine inns and restaurants.