Buckets of Trouble
Some individuals are thoughtlessly jeopardizing the future of Maine’s native fisheries by introducing new fish they prefer to catch into state water without regard for the environmental havoc they are inflicting. Illegal stocking may cause irreversible changes to Maine’s entire aquatic ecosystem, creating costly issues with limited solutions. Other individuals dump the contents of their bait buckets, unknowingly releasing invasive threats that may be residing in the waters of the bait bucket.
- Empty your bait bucket on land. Never release live bait into a body of water or release other fish and aquatic animals from one body of water into another; it's the law.
- Please help fight this serious problem by remaining observant and reporting those who are committing these illegal acts.
- Maine law requires you to immediately kill any fish that you decide to keep.
- It is illegal to transport live fish (other than legal baitfish) without a permit.
- It is illegal to import any live fish or eggs (including baitfish) into Maine without a permit.
- There is a $10,000 fine for illegal stocking.
- There is a $2,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
If you see of suspect someone is moving live fish, contact the Maine Warden Service immediately at 1-800-ALERT-US or report the offense at the Maine Operation Game Thief website.
