Maine Cancels Salmon Season

Maine officials canceled the month long fishing season for Atlantic salmon (May 22 to June 22) in the latest possible sign of escalating tension between the state and the federal government over the imperiled fish.

The sudden reversal came after federal regulators met with Gov. John Baldacci and the Atlantic Salmon Commission last week to discuss the pending decision about whether Maine salmon will be added to the endangered species list. During that meeting, representatives from the National Marine Fisheries Service apparently reiterated their strong opposition to a catch-and-release season for Atlantic salmon on the Penobscot River.

Federal officials are expected to announce in the coming weeks whether salmon in three of Maine’s largest rivers — the Penobscot, the Kennebec and the Androscoggin — will be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Penobscot River is the only U.S. waterway that still sees a sizeable run of spawning Atlantic salmon. But more than 90 percent of the returning fish can be traced to two federal fish hatcheries, and the 1,000 or so fish that typically return to the river annually are a fraction of historic runs.

Friday (May 22, 2009) would have been only the second “opening day” for spring salmon fishing on the Penobscot in a decade. The state held an identical catch-and-release season last spring, again over the vocal objections of federal officials. While fewer than 200 fishermen participated last spring — resulting in a financial loss for the state — the commission and DMR staff said the season proved that the state could run a carefully monitored fishery without harming the population. Anglers were restricted to using single-pointed, barbless flies and were required to re-lease all fish immediately.