To the dismay of Maine Gov. Angus King (I), two sport-fishing groups filed suit against the feds yesterday for failing to adequately protect Atlantic salmon in Maine rivers. The Atlantic Salmon Federation and Trout Unlimited want the fish added to the endangered species list. Earlier in the decade, the federal government declared the fish a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act, but decided to accept a less stringent protection plan offered by Maine that relies on voluntary pollution control. Enviros say Maine’s plan isn’t working. Last year, only some 100 wild salmon returned to rivers to spawn, whereas historically 500,000 salmon spawned in New England rivers each year. King argues that listing the fish could harm local logging and farming interests.
