MACHIAS, Maine - The Downeast Salmon Federation is training volunteers to help survey the rainbow smelt populations in Downeast Maine.
The group is holding training sessions for volunteers in Machias on Thursday and Pembroke on Friday. The group says the survey is a "massive data collection effort'' to learn more about the smelt population status in the area.
Information collected by volunteers will assist the salmon federation, state regulators and others in managing the smelt fishery.
The Machias training session meets at 7 p.m. next to Rite Aid and the Pembroke session meets at 7 p.m. at the intersection of Route One and Leighton Point Road.