The depth of the disagreement among members of the Fisheries and Wildlife and the Natural Resources committees ensures the bill will be just as hotly debated when it comes up for votes in the House and Senate. Only a few weeks ago, Honey thought the bill, which would reopen the fishways at Woodland and Grand Falls, would easily win committee approval, but opponents have mounted a furious campaign against it. But supporters say unless the fishways are reopened, the alewife run on the river may be lost. The number of alewives migrating into the river has dropped from 2.6 million in 1987 to less than 9,000 last year. Alewives are important to the Gulf of Maine ecosystem, providing food for groundfish and for osprey and bald eagles.
Alewives also are a popular bait fish.
Supporters say the risk to inland fisheries is minimal, especially after the bill was amended to stipulate that only 90,000 alewives would be allowed through the fishways each year. Those arguments and amendments convinced Sen. Kenneth Lemont, R-Kittery, who voted for the bill. They're at the bottom of the food chain. They're very important. Canadian fisheries officials have said they will truck alewives around the fishways if the Maine Legislature doesn't vote to reopen them.