TESTIMONY OF ROBERT FISK, JR.
President & Director of Maine Friends of Animals
IN SUPPORT OF L.D. 628 “An Act to Amend the Bear Hunting Laws” and
IN SUPPORT OF L.D. 1460 “An Act to Ban Bear Hunting with Traps Except to Protect the Public”
COMMITTEE ON INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE

April 28, 2005

Good afternoon Senator Byrant, Representative Watson and distinguished members of the committee.  I am Robert Fisk, Jr., president and director of Maine Friends of Animals, a statewide animal advocate group that promotes the humane treatment of animals with education, advocacy and legislation; and we initiated the bear referendum. 

The bear referendum significantly increased the public awareness of wildlife animal cruelty, unethical forms of hunting and how Maine’s wildlife is managed and by whom. Most Mainers knew very little about how we hunted bear in this state until the referendum. They learned a lot. The view of bear hunting will never be the same after the referendum. Because of that I honestly believe what happens to these bear bills by this committee will set the tone for wildlife issues for many years to come. If this legislation is dismissed as this committee has done before I believe it will create a greater divide among non-hunters and hunters, increase criticism of the department as being pawns of sportsmen, and stimulate a call for future referendums.