IFW Committee kills bill to simplify fishing rules

DSCN4010The bill to create a commission to simplify Maine’s complicated fishing rules got a unanimous ought-not-to-pass recommendation from the legislature’s IFW Committee yesterday, even though five members of the committee had cosponsored the bill.

That was a big disappointment for me, as I had proposed the bill and asked Representative Michelle Dunphy to sponsor it.

Committee members, and representatives of SAM, the Maine Professional Guides Association, and Trout Unlimited, seem to have a lot of confidence that DIF&W can accomplish this task itself. But Representative Bob Duchesne, the House chair of the IFW Committee, asked the best question, “How can a department fix a problem they created?”

There was a bit of encouragement in the public hearing testimony and the work session discussion. A lot of suggestions were offered that would simplify the rules, and Francis Brautigam, Fisheries Division Director, said that his staff would be working this year to simplify the fishing rules.

This morning I emailed Commissioner Chandler Woodcock and Francis, suggesting that they pull together an informal group to work with them on simplifying the fishing rules. They could include SAM, TU, and MPGA, and ask them to spread the word and collect suggestions from their members and others. The group wouldn’t have to meet often, maybe just a couple of times, but it would be a simple way to gather recommendations, something that Francis said they would like to do.

If a process is established that would let you offer your own suggestions for simplifying our fishing rules, I will let you know.

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.