FARMINGTON – The Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is hosting five public meetings concerning proposed fishing regulation changes for the 2016 open water and ice fishing seasons.
Locally, the public hearing will be held 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21 at University of Maine Farmington, Olson Student Center’s North Dining Hall B, 111 South Street, Farmington.
Each year, IFW updates the fishing law book. Regulation changes are needed in order to enhance fishing opportunities throughout the state, as well as to protect fish from overfishing. This year, there are over 150 proposed regulation changes for Maine’s 6,000 lakes and ponds and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams.
You can find a list of the proposed regulation changes at www.mefishwildlife.com.
Any proposed regulation can be discussed at any of the public hearing locations. If you cannot attend the public hearing but still wish to provide input, there is a public comment period that runs from now until Aug. 3. You can provide written comment by emailing becky.orff@maine.gov or mailing Becky Orff at Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 284 State Street, #41 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333.
For one ALL out of staters regardless of age should have to buy a fishing license ! two with all the new laws you will have to have your lawyer on speed dial or take him fishing with you because it is harder enough to keep up with the laws now and trying to figure out what the law book says is harder enough as it is . they will make them laws regardless of what we the people say or ask for !!!
The laws are easy to understand if you read the book the way it is designed to be read. IF&W spends an incredible amount of money on raising and stocking trout and salmon, it only makes sense that they have input on regulating how the fish are harvested. They aren’t out to make money on fines, they are trying to protect a valuable resource. It’s through many hours of hard work by biologists that the populations of our fish are surveyed, they then suggest changes to the laws in order to manage what we have. Take a few minutes to read the proposed changes.
Maine fishing laws are so ridiculous. I gave up fishing. Because I didn’t want to break the law
Iceman said it very eloquently! Its just harder and harder each year.