An Act To Empower Anglers in Fish Stocking Decisions
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §12758-A is enacted to read:
§ 12758-A. Fish stocking
1. Public notification. When the Bureau of Resource Management determines that there is a need to consider changing the fish stocking policies on a water or group of waters that supports a major fishery or major fisheries, the department shall provide notification regarding the proposed change. Notification of the proposed change must be published on the department’s publicly accessible website and in the department’s weekly fishing updates and the department’s e-mail relating to fisheries. The department shall also notify local and state sportsman’s associations.
2. Public hearing. Before proceeding with the proposed changes under subsection 1, the department shall hold a public hearing, if a sufficient number of requests are received, to review the fish stocking policies presented by the proposals as well as the information used to assess the opportunities and to receive public comments concerning the proposals.
summary
This bill requires the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to publish notification of any fish stocking and to hold a hearing if the department receives a sufficient number of requests for a hearing.