It's ironic how the lower credit steelhead advocates argued with the upper credit resident trout advocates for years, over whether rainbows should be allowed into the upper river and how it might affect the existing resident brown and brook trout populations.
Fast forward to now and both the steelhead and resident fisheries have gone to hell. Both treasured and both sacrificed in the name of an Atlantic reintroduction program that is not working and that nobody wants. Some democracy we live in.
If there's a petition that needs to be signed, it's one to stop the insanity that is the Atlantic program and to start directing money to programs that people actually want and that have been proven will work.
Sure, the odd person may say they want the Atlantic program... but chances are, they either have a stake in the project (directly or indirectly), or they aren't well informed and are simply happy it sounds green (i.e. general public). There are even those who do have a stake in the project, disagree with it, yet are unwilling to speak out due to fear of losing their job or similar. Again, some democracy.
If opening up the river more to migratory species makes sense, so be it (it's certainly not a new proposal). But you can bet nothing is going to happen until the above is solved.
