Panel finds Maine lawmakers erred on tribal fishing rights
Maine lawmakers circumvented a federal law when they passed new legislation on tribal fishing rights without the consent of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, according to a new report.
The Bangor Daily News reported that the 41-page report comes from the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, which is now calling on the state Legislature and other parties to meet and discuss the issue in hopes of finding a fairer solution for the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
The inter-governmental commission said in the report that the state Legislature stripped provisions of a bill, later passed into law, that would have required Passamaquoddy approval when passing laws seeking to resolve saltwater fishing conflicts with the tribe.
Rep. Charles Priest (D-Brunswick) told the newspaper that the new report shows that the state needs to continue working with Maine's tribes to resolve conflicts.
Chief R. Clayton Cleaves of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in Pleasant Point, told the BDN, that saltwater fishing is viewed as an “inherent right” for the tribe, but he and others remain committed to sharing the resource in a way “that does not harm the fish.”
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