Our very own Laura Williams was a guest on the Fish Nerds Podcast last month, talking about lead-free fishing. The podcast host, the “Crappie Hippie,” originally scheduled her for ten minutes but they had so much fun, it turned out to be the focus of the whole show. Podcast host John King (aka …
Loons
Maine Audubon in Augusta: Mid-Session Updates from the Legislature
We have lots of updates from a busy session in the Maine Legislature! Let's dive right in after some notices on a few upcoming events: This Thursday, May 18, is Conservation Lobby Day in Augusta. Members and supporters from conservation organizations across the state will join in Augusta to …
Broad Support Demonstrated for Bill to Close Loophole in Lead Fishing Tackle Laws
On May 8, advocates gathered to testify at a public hearing before Maine State Legislature’s Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee in support of LD 958, a bill to update existing law to phase out the sale and use of small-sized painted lead jigs to more comprehensively address lead-caused …
Bill to Help Protect Loons from Lead Poisoning on Tap in the Legislature
For decades, lead poisoning has been one of the leading causes of loon mortality in Maine, but we're working to prevent it. Loons ingest a striking amount of fishing tackle that is either lost or left behind, or in fish that have ingested tackle. When swallowing small pebbles to aid their …
Fish Lead Free – Wow that’s a lot of lead!
March has been a busy month for our Fish Lead Free project! We have been at Sportsmans Shows around the state getting the lead out, talking about the lead tackle law, promoting the use of biodegradables, and sharing ideas about properly securing soft plastic lures. In Maine it is illegal to use …
New soft plastic lure project invites anglers to gather data
Have you ever thought about the fish you are catching—or eating? And wondered what that fish had been eating? Soft plastic fishing lures are a popular and common tackle used extensively across Maine. These lures imitate worms, frogs, and other natural baits by moving more freely through the water …
Boosting Fish Lead Free efforts this winter
Winter is the perfect time to clean out your tackle box of any unwanted or illegal lead tackle. You might start by cleaning out the illegal tackle: Maine bans the use and sale of lead sinkers and unpainted lead jig heads weighing 1 ounce or less and measuring 2.5 inches long or less. But since this …
Maine Audubon’s 2022 Loon Count Brings in New Lakes, Counters!
Final results from Maine Audubon’s Annual Loon Count for 2022 estimate that adult loon numbers dipped slightly this year but chick numbers are up! Long-term trends continue to show a strong adult population that has grown steadily over the years, and a stable population of chicks over time. The …
Ten Questions for Our Seasonal Loon Biologists
What’s it like to work with loons in the field? For the spring and summer of 2022, two seasonal biologists, Earl Johnson and Jill Marianacci, have been working with Maine Audubon on the Loon Restoration Project, doing everything from building artificial nests for loons that struggle to hatch chicks, …