CCA Maine may set up chapter in Bangor

loading...

Maine has earned a reputation as a destination worth exploring if you’re a traveling angler in search of some good territory to wet a line.

Brook trout, landlocked salmon and even the once-maligned smallmouth bass have their passionate supporters here.

Ian Burnes knows there are also plenty of Mainers who love to spend their time fishing coastal and tidal waters.

And he’s at the forefront of an effort to give those tidal anglers a more clearly defined voice in future discussions on the resource.

Burnes is the front man for Coastal Conservation Association Maine, the state affiliate of the national CCA.

And in the weeks and months ahead, Burnes hopes you’ll hear more about his organization.

To that end, organizational meetings have been held in Portland and Topsham, and a Bangor meeting is set for Dec. 14.

When interested anglers gather at the Sea Dog restaurant for that 6 p.m. meeting, Burnes will tell them what it takes to get a CCA chapter up and running, and will tell them why he thinks it’s important for Maine communities to get involved in tidal fishing issues.

“We’ve got local chapters, so we’re responding to local concerns,” said Burnes, who has been tapped to become the executive director of CCA Maine. “But we have a regional and national presence, so that if the guys in the Penobscot River valley start raising hell about a certain issue, they can make a difference on a regional level.”

The CCA’s mission statement explains the organization’s goal is to “advise and educate the public on conservation of marine resources,” and to conserve, promote and enhance the present and future availability of those resources for the benefit of the general public.

The group began its work in 1977 when commercial overfishing threatened redfish and speckled trout populations on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

“Their first big success was bringing [the redfish] back from the brink,” Burnes said. “Now it’s one of the most plentiful fish, it’s a staple of the recreational economy down there.”

Burnes said the CCA has also played an important role in publicizing the perils facing striped bass on the East Coast.

“I don’t know about you, but when I grew up, catching a striper was like catching a ghost,” he said. “And the CCA played a big part in [changing] that.”

Burnes points at the removal of the Edward Dam on the Kennebec River in Augusta as one of the projects CCA got behind and helped raise money for, and said the group has also participated in the successful effort to remove the Smelt Hill Dam on the Presumpscot River.

A CCA press release quotes CCA president David Cummins as crediting Mainers for also banning the use of gill nets and purse seines in the Presumpscot.

Burnes said a passion for striped bass fishing is what drives most of the organization’s Maine members, and points out the species faces plenty of challenges.

“[Most of the] striped bass that we’re catching here … have had to swim all the way [from] the Chesapeake [Bay], and the pressures they’re facing on that migration are pretty extreme,” Burnes said. “We’re on the end of the migration here, so every single state south of here gets their swipe at ’em before we do.”

That means liberal regulations elsewhere could have an effect on Mainers. The policies in place all along the eastern seaboard – whether commercial fishing for certain species is allowed, for instance – will have an impact on the quality of fishing in Maine, and elsewhere.

“Everybody remembers a time, 10, 15, 20 years ago, when we had big schools of pogies swimming off the coast,” Burnes said. “They’re not there any more. We know why: They got sucked up by Russian factory ships. And they’re gone.”

Burnes said when the pogies, or menhaden, were in Maine’s coastal waters, it made for exciting fishing, as big stripers (as well as bluefish) would often be nearby, feeding.

Burnes said regulating the commercial catch of various species of fish to a sustainable level is a key to avoiding further challenges to stripers and other game fish.

He points at the Kennebec River as an example of what’s possible.

“I live over in the Kennebec valley, and I’ve seen what has happened over there,” Burnes said. “We didn’t used to have river herring. We brought back the river herring – the alewives and the bluebacks – [in part by removing Edwards Dam] and they are striper candy. If you want to talk about an outstanding time to fish for striped bass, it’s when those herring are in the river.”

Burnes said another challenge to recreational fisheries is the massive harvest of certain species of fish for use as lobster bait.

“[There’s] more pressure to get bait into those [lobster] traps, and that’s a critical part of our economy, I understand that,” Burnes said. “But we’ve got to make sure that that fishery is sustainable.”

Burnes said in the past, recreational fishing enthusiasts have lacked a presence in debates on maritime issues. CCA Maine intends to change that.

“What fishermen can do locally is we can get organized and we can speak with a clear voice. And that makes a big difference,” Burnes said.

“What I’m saying is, we just need to show up and make sure we’re at the table,” he said. “We’re not even at the table right now. We’ve got to get a seat at that table and make sure that we’re heard.”

Burnes said people with similar views may want to stop by the Dec. 14 meeting to learn more and see if they’re interested in helping to start a Bangor chapter.

“If you love to go striper fishing, if you love spending time on [the Penobscot] river, and you want to make sure it’s a great resource for you and your kids and the next generation, then we’d love for you to come out to this meeting,” he said.

But working on improving recreational fishing isn’t all CCA Maine is about, he pointed out.

“We want to have guys who want to have a good time. We talk a lot about the serious issues that we can tackle here, but bottom line, this is a chance to meet fishermen, make a difference and have a good time,” Burnes said.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.