Panel votes to strengthen protections for goldeneye

AUGUSTA – A legislative committee voted Tuesday to recommend adding a hard-to-recognize duck and 13 other animals to Maine’s list of threatened and endangered species.

Several weeks ago, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife’s noncontroversial proposal to update the state’s list of rare and endangered species got bogged down in a squabble over the Barrow’s goldeneye.

The vast majority of this diving duck’s population breed and winter in Quebec. Biologists estimate that 250 Barrow’s goldeneyes, on average, spend their winters in Maine.

But the department’s proposal to add the Barrow’s goldeneye to the state’s list of “threatened” species sparked concern from sportsmen’s groups because the bird looks so similar to a duck popular with hunters.

In fact, the Barrow’s goldeneye looks so similar to the common goldeneye, which is plentiful in Maine, that even experienced birders said they cannot quickly distinguish the two at rest, much less during flight.

After several weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations between environmentalists and sportsmen, the department proposed listing the duck but issuing “incidental take permits” in case a hunter mistakes the Barrow’s for a common goldeneye. The permit protects the hunter from punishment as long as the killing was unintentional.

Ken Elowe, head of DIF&W’s Bureau of Resource Management, told members of the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee that the department will monitor incidental kills. If more than 15 Barrow’s goldeneyes are taken by hunters, the department will revisit the issue, he said.

“I don’t foresee large-scale hunting area closures,” Elowe said.

Representatives from groups on both sides of the issue said that, while not entirely satisfied, they could live with the proposal for now.

Jenn Burns with Maine Audubon said her organization still would rather see some known wintering areas for Barrow’s goldeneyes kept off-limits to hunters. She was also not entirely comfortable with the incidental take permit.

“But we’re very excited, and relieved,” Burns said.

George Smith, executive director of the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, said his group reluctantly agreed to the proposal.

But he questioned whether the bird deserves listing in Maine given that the health of the duck population depends on conditions in Canada. Canadian hunters are allowed to take one bird a day, he pointed out.

Smith said he also remains “uncomfortable” with the incidental take permit.

The bill now goes to the full Legislature for consideration.

Among the other species proposed for “endangered” or “threatened” status are the New England cottontail, the black-crowned night heron, breeding populations of the great cormorant, the redfin pickerel and several types of invertebrates.