Brian Altvater

Location of Interview
Collection Name

Maine Sea Grant Alewife and Eel Oral Histories

Description

In 2013-2014, Maine Sea Grant and NOAA Fisheries collaborated to document and showcase harvesters’ knowledge of alewives, blueback herring, and American eels in Downeast Maine. The project was funded through a NOAA Preserve America grant. Julia Beaty, a Maine Sea Grant scholar who recently graduated from the University of Maine with a master’s in marine science and a master’s in marine policy, researched the history of each species in eastern Maine and conducted dozens of interviews with harvesters and other stakeholders.

Interviewer
Date of Interview
05-29-2014
Transcript
Biographical Sketch

Brian Altvater, Sr. is the chair of the Schoodic River Keepers. He played a key role in establishing the committee to restore the St. Croix River. Altvater is proud that the committee is grassroots and non-politically motivated despite being involved in political matters due to the involvement of different countries, the Tribe, the state of Maine, and the International Joint Commission. He was particularly upset about the denial of ancestral habitat to alewives above the Grand Falls dam, which prevented them from spawning and breeding for 22 years. Altvater was involved in the passing of LD 72, which allowed the removal of a board from the fishway at Grand Falls dam, with the hope that the alewife population would recover in the next ten to twelve years. Altvater advocates for the removal of dams to restore the rivers and is knowledgeable about the history of the herring fishing industry. He is well-informed about the timing of the alewife and elver runs and their migration patterns. Altvater believes that the restoration of the rivers is crucial for the well-being of various animal species, including eagles, marine mammals, otters, and bears, as well as for the feeding of groundfish like pollock, haddock, and cod fish.

Scope and Content Note
The interview with Brian Altvater, Sr. covers his role as the chair of the Schoodic River Keepers and the efforts to restore the St. Croix River. Altvater discusses the grassroots nature of the committee and its non-political motivation, despite being involved in political matters due to the involvement of different countries, the Tribe, the state of Maine, and the International Joint Commission. He expresses concern about the denial of ancestral habitat to alewives above the Grand Falls dam, which prevented them from spawning and breeding for 22 years. Altvater was involved in the passing of LD 72, which allowed the removal of a board from the fishway at Grand Falls dam, with the hope that the alewife population would recover in the next ten to twelve years. He emphasizes the cultural importance of alewives and the interconnectedness of the ecosystem. Altvater advocates for the removal of dams to restore the rivers and is knowledgeable about the history of the herring fishing industry. He is well-informed about the timing of the alewife and elver runs and their migration patterns. Altvater believes that the restoration of the rivers is crucial for the well-being of various animal species, including eagles, marine mammals, otters, and bears, as well as for the feeding of groundfish like pollock, haddock, and codfish.
 


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