We recycled 218 POUNDS of lead fishing tackle this past week! Maine Audubon has been collecting lead tackle from anglers across the state for about ten years through our Fish Lead Free initiative to reduce loon deaths. It only takes a loon ingesting one small piece of lead tackle to result in the …
Fish Lead-Free
WIN! Gov. Mills Signs into law a bill that will help protect loons from lead poisoning
One of Maine's most iconic wildlife species will benefit from a new law signed this week by Governor Mills that phases out the use and sale of small-sized painted lead fishing tackle. Common Loons can accidentally ingest lost or discarded lead tackle when it sinks to the bottom, causing illness and …
Talking fishing lead-free with the Crappie Hippie
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 …
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 …
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 …
Fish Lead Free: Getting Out on the Ice!
It was a slow start to ice fishing season in Maine this year, but in February the ice fishing events were stacked so I decided to join in the fun and was out on the ice educating anglers about the benefits of lead-free fishing. Why? Because lead poisoning in loons is one of the leading causes of …
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 releases PSAs on wildlife-friendly fishing tips
Maine is a great place to fish, whether you’re at the ocean, on a lake, or in a river. And if we all take a few simple steps this summer, we can keep it that way. To help support our native fish populations as well as wildlife like the iconic loon, Maine Audubon has created public service …