Operational Plan for the Restoration of Diadromous Fishes to the ...

arriers to prevent movement of pike into sensitive sub-drainages, resulting in this
document.
Ecological Risk
Miller et al (1989) estimated that exotic introductions were responsible for 68% of
fish extinctions in North America. Introductions of large, top-predators such as
northern pike (Esox lucius) negatively affect resident fish communities by disrupting
normal feeding behavior (Bystrom et al. 2007), decreasing prey biomass and
abundance (He and Kitchell 1990; Findlay et al. 2005) and through extirpation of
native species (Findlay et al. 2005; Bystrom et al. 2007).
Northern pike introductions in Maine
Northern pike were initially introduced into Maine in the 1970s, as the result of an
illegal introduction into the Belgrade Chain of Lakes (Brautigam 2001). Subsequent
migration within the Belgrade Lakes drainage and additional illegal introductions are
responsible for an expanding distribution within central and southern Maine, which
until the 1990s was limited to two river drainages, the Androscoggin and the
Kennebec. Since 1985, the number of northern pike waters has increased from six
to 49 (with 17 expected and one extirpated) statewide (Lucas 2008), representing
72,789 acres in lake surface area (Table 1). In 2004, northern pike were confirmed
in Pushaw Lake in the Penobscot River drainage (Gallagher et al. 2006), effectively
giving northern pike access to over 100 river kilometers in the Penobscot mainstem
from the mouth of the river to the Howland and West Enfield dams. Portions of the
upper watershed are also accessible if pike are able to use the existing fishways
installed at the upper dams.
Table 1. Waterbodies with reported pike occurrences
County Year Lake Town Confirmed Status
Kennebec 1980 Great Pond Belgrade Y Present
Kennebec 1980 Ingham Pond Mount Vernon Y Present
Kennebec 1980 Long Pond Belgrade Y Present
Kennebec 1980 Messalonskee Lake Belgrade Y Present
Kennebec 1980 Belgrade Stream Belgrade Y Present
Kennebec 1980 Great Meadow Stream Belgrade Y Present
Oxford, Coos (NH) 1990 Umbagog Lake Magalloway Plt Y Present
Kennebec, Somerset 1980 North Pond Rome Y Present
Androscoggin 1994 Sabbatus Pond Greene Y Present
Kennebec 1996 Berry Pond Winthrop Y Present
Kennebec 1996 Dexter pond Winthrop N Present
Kennebec 1996 Cobbosseecontee Lake Winthrop Y Present
Kennebec 1996 Annabessacook Lake Monmouth Y Present
Kennebec 1996 Lower Narrows Pond Winthrop Y Present
Kennebec 1996 Upper Narrows Pond Winthrop N Present
Kennebec 1996 Horseshoe Pond Litchfield N Present
Kennebec 1996 Pleasant Pond Gardiner N Present
Kennebec 1996 Wilson Pond Wayne N Present
Somerset 1998 Androscoggin River Bethel Y Present
PRFP Page 213