State fish biologists face criticism

AUGUSTA – Maine’s deer biologist got a round of applause Friday even though he reported one of the worst deer seasons in years, while state fisheries biologists were lambasted by a crowd of about 100 attending the seventh Sportsman’s Congress.

The opportunity for hunters and fishermen to question Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife officialdom was afforded by the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, which hosted the event at the Elks Lodge.

SAM’s executive director, George Smith, led the charge against the fisheries division. As DIF&W slides of big fish flashed on the wall, he offered introductory comments dripping with sarcasm.

“They’re showing these pictures of fish, I asked them what state they were from. They claimed they were from Maine,” Smith told the crowd.

Later DIF&W director of resource management Ken Elowe referred back to the slides as he explained how the state tries to please anglers by not stocking wild fisheries, or by stocking certain waters with lots of hatchery-grown fish.

“I’d like to direct you all to those fish on the wall,” Elowe said. “Those are from Maine.”

Elowe concluded saying that DIF&W’s efforts to create sizable fish take some tinkering, and are an exact science that takes time to understand.

A few fishermen backed DIF&W, saying it is understaffed, underfunded, and has no fisheries research division.

“There are 23 fish biologists in this state that work on all the problems,” said Vaughn Anthony of Boothbay. “They should have a $4-5 million budget, rather than the $2 million they have.”

But, like most other anglers in the crowd, Smith was relentless in his criticism, telling the fisheries panel, “We’d like to see a trophy fish program … what excites people is big fish.”

Anglers also complained that there are not enough smelt runs, that not enough is done to stop the illegal introductions of non-native fish, and that overstocking in some areas limits growth rates.

To each of these demands for action, the department said there was no easy answer.

“In most waters where people put illegal fish, we can’t do anything,” Elowe said flatly. “The one thing we ask SAM and other clubs to do is, like with littering, the only way change is going to happen is through education and peer pressure.”

DIF&W Commissioner Lee Perry said that the independent review of the fisheries program – expected to happen in the next year, now that funding has been obtained from the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund, sportsmen’s rod and gun clubs and SAM – may provide some answers for these issues in 2003.

The wildlife segment of the daylong conference was more informative than combative.

State deer biologist Gerry Lavigne reported that the deer kill was 30 percent lower than last year. In response, sportsmen mostly offered polite questions about the whitetails.

They wanted to know how new opportunities could be created, such as an expanded archery or muzzleloader season. They accepted Lavigne’s assurance that the deer population will rebound.

“This is just a speed bump in the road,” Lavigne said.

The rest of the wildlife presentation offered information, including the following:

. A move for a fall turkey hunt is in the works, according to Sen. John Nutting, D-Leeds, who put in a bill, arguing that a new hunt would help raise money for the financially strapped DIF&W.

. The bear season concluded with a kill estimated to be as high as 3,700 to 4,000. Elowe said that many bears could be taken as long as the numbers don’t start to rise above 3,800 for more than a year at a time.

. Hunting season has produced minimal reports of accidents.

The topic billed as the hot issue at the congress – the proposal to boost hunting and fishing license fees – amounted to little more than an educational seminar on DIF&W’s budget.

Deirdre Fleming covers outdoor sports and recreation for the NEWS. She can be reached at 990-8250 or at dfleming@bangordailynews.net.