IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Maine => Ice Fishing Maine => Topic started by: Anomaly on Nov 30, 2022, 12:53 PM
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More good stuff!!! "Maine DMR will partner with the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Woodland Pulp, New Brunswick Power, The Nature Conservancy and various other conservation groups on the project. “The tremendous sense of hope of what a restored river could be has spurred partnerships across tribal, state, federal, NGO groups, private companies, and the public to work towards restoration in the St. Croix watershed,” said Ledwin." https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/MEDMR/bulletins/33ab746
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Most of the guides up around that area aren't very excited about this. They expect the salmon fishing in West Grand to crash.
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Most of the guides up around that area aren't very excited about this. They expect the salmon fishing in West Grand to crash.
I'm not sure, but aren't most salmon in WG stocked? 100,000 in 2021 alone. Given the $20 million in Mills' Admin. IFW hatchery enhancement, I don't see any diminishing stocking there or anywhere in the state. More likely is a large increase in hatchery effectiveness and fisheries opportunities. Lots going on!! I've never caught or seen a non stocked salmon WG... I don't think the dam at GLS is going anywhere either...I know there's a fish ladder. Anyway, any baby alewives would add largely to feed in WG. I know about the thiamin issue too. Since the spawning of LL salmon is minimal in WG, and seeing the substantial stocking there resulting in the bulk of the catch at WG, then considering the LL salmon fisheries in East Grand and The NY Fingerlakes (both loaded with alewives), I don't see a crash following. Knowing the increase in anadromous fish stocks and spawning and the more broad effect on a wide range of marine fisheries, I'd call it overarching win.
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East Grand is loaded with alewives? I did not know this. What about the dam in Forest City?
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Okay, did some digging and according to this article, it seems the alewives in East Grand were illegally stocked, not sea-run up the St. Croix.
However, it does state that Spednic was impacted by sea-run alewives.
https://www.mrlakefront.net/newsdetails.taf?date=03/26/2008&link=alewives-had-measurable-impact-on-young-bass
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There were studies in the Great Lakes that showed salmon fisheries crashing with the introduction of alewives as their main food source. This it the concerns in West Grand, however that hasn't really happened with Alewives and salmon in Maine so far, so we can keep our fingers crossed it won't happen.
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I'm curious whether alewives and/or herring will displace smelt. I know that there are both sea run and landlocked varieties of alewives, similar to smelt. Hope the smelt, alewives and salmonids can get along, and the trout and salmon get fat and happy.