Inconsistencies: Why Don't Fish Count?

Many years ago, on a trip to Baxter State Park, my husband and I found a lovely feather on the ground. We were 11 miles from the parking area, deep in the wilderness, on a small island we’d canoed to. I picked the feather up and poked it into a side pocket on my pack.

We met a man on that island who was fishing. He told me that it was illegal to take anything from Baxter, including a feather. I couldn’t tell if he was warning me, lest I get caught by a ranger, or was taking upon himself the role of nature police. What I did know was that next to him, on the ground, lay a mess of fishing line. Whether it was his or belonged to some other careless fisher who didn’t clean up after him or herself, I couldn’t be sure, but where there is trash line on the ground, there is likely more in the water, along with lost hooks, potentially harming the ecosystem and individual animals for years to come.

Baxter has a number of rules to protect the natural surroundings. The one that this man was referring to when he commented upon the feather in my pack was this: “No person may remove any natural or cultural object from the Park.” Funny how fishes don’t fall into this category. I sought to take a single feather, and this was forbidden, yet people can not only harm, but also kill numerous fish, which by all definitions ought to be considered “natural.” In fact, Baxter’s website enthusiastically encourages fishing: “Whether you seek an afternoon of fly-fishing on Kidney Pond, a gentle introduction to fishing for your grandchild with bonus moose sightings or the thrill of fishing a pond or stream a full day’s hike from the car, fishing is a primary activity for many Park visitors!”

In Belize this past winter, I found a beautiful, empty conch shell in shallow waters, which I carried back to my cabin. Seeing me walk with the shell, a neighbor let me know that it was illegal to remove it. Meanwhile, her husband was catching fish in the same waters, but this illegality didn’t phase her.

Why are we so inconsistent with our rules? Why do fish so seldom count among protected wildlife? Why is the removal of a fallen feather or empty shell a violation, but not the killing of fish who are not only aware of their lives and eager to continue them, but also integral to the ecosystems in which they are a part? I do not mean to excuse my occasional lapses as I collect a feather or shell where I shouldn’t, but these inconsistencies perplex and frustrate me.

Zoe Weil
Author of So, You Love Animals, Above All, Be Kind and Most Good, Least Harm

Image courtesy of kasperbs via Creative Commons.

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