National Federal Registry / Saltwater License News

[zimno1]

it is now official and you are required to register.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed a rule, required by the Magnuson-Stevens Act (MSA), that would establish the National Saltwater Angler Registry. The purpose of the registry is to provide NOAA with catch data from saltwater anglers who fish in federal waters so that marine fish stocks can be managed sustainably.
The registry will enable the federal government to identify more accurately who is fishing and what they're catching. The data generated by the registry will ultimately provide NOAA with the crucial information it needs to better allocate marine fisheries resources to recreational saltwater anglers.
Beginning in January 2009, recreational anglers who fish in federal waters are required to register each year with NOAA Fisheries Service. The proposed rule also requires registration by those who may catch anadromous species such as salmon, striped bass, and shad in rivers and streams where they spawn.
Anglers may be exempt from federal registration if they fish in a state that already has a program in place to account for all of its saltwater anglers. The proposed rule outlines possible exemptions for states that have a comprehensive saltwater fishing license or a regional angler survey program approved by NOAA Fisheries. In addition, anglers fishing from licensed for-hire vessels and anglers under the age of 16 are exempt from registering.
Federal registration will be free for the first two years. A fee of $15-25 will be levied beginning in 2011. Fees collected through the federal registry will go to the U.S. Treasury, and are not required to go back to the resource. (i have said this all along that if we did not get our own state licensce this would happen!>Fees collected in states exempt from the federal registry will be used as each state sees fit. NOAA is accepting public comments on the proposed rule until August 11, 2008. A final rule based on all comments received is expected in November 2008 with the requirement going into effect January 1, 2009. Visit www.countmyfish.noaa.gov for more information.
Here is a link to submit any concerns and suggestions and please refrain from any profanities as we are a civil and upstanding component of society and not a bunch of hooples collectively dismantling our ecosytem as some would portray us in any and or all conservation venues. http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspubli...00006480620f04
i am dissappointed the state didn;t act on this sensitive issue and get ahead of the curve as i discribed it to a tee. as now we get nothing in return for our buck. perhaps a state licence will now (if available to us after this notice? i don't know yet at this juncture) save the monies from the fed. gov't and keep it in our own pot for what that's worth.

[jimi4290]

bottom line...the anglers get porked in the end...right up the pooper with a bit of sand or broken glass for lubricant.

[zimno1]

sorta right up your alley then?

[jimi4290]

Originally Posted by zimno1

sorta right up your alley then?

hey buddy.....

[Mark P]

This is ridiculous. I can understand the NOAA wanting to know what is being taken by saltwater anglers but it seems to me the more people that register the Government is probably like everything else see a revenue stream.

[Striperjim]

Recreational saltwater anglers now have a little more time before they are required to register under a new federal rule.
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service, the federal agency that manages fishing, announced Tuesday its final rule to help create a saltwater angler registry by 2010.
The announcement comes after agency officials reviewed the hundreds of comments it received from fishermen since it announced the proposed plan for the registry in June.
The rule requires that recreational saltwater fishermen be included in the national registry by 2010. Its proposed rule last summer had required registration by next month, but after public comment, the federal agency decided to allow another year for states to get their data collection systems in place.
”It gives us 12 months now. It'll save a lot of confusion for the public wondering how they are supposed to comply in the coming year,” said David Simpson, the director of the state's marine fisheries division.
The purpose of the registry, officials said, is to conduct more complete surveys and collect more accurate data on the amounts of fish caught and the size of fish stocks.
”Better national surveys of the more than 15 million saltwater anglers will help us demonstrate the important contributions of recreational anglers to both local economies and to the nation's,” Jim Balsiger, acting assistant administrator for NOAA's Fisheries Service, said in a news release.
Fishermen will be required to register annually, carry a certificate when fishing and pay a fee, likely to be no more than $25 under the federal rule. The fee would not be collected until 2011.
Saltwater fishermen who register with state fishing agencies would be exempt from registering with federal agencies. State agencies would supply information from their registries to the national registry.
Ct. State marine fishing officials expect to testify before the state legislature during the next session as the group works to get the state's version of the registry requirement in place.
If the legislature implements its version of the registry rule for saltwater fishing, Connecticut anglers would have to begin paying the fee when they are required to register starting in 2010.
By registering with the state, the money collected from the fees would be kept in Connecticut instead of being collected into the federal pot where the funds could be used for various projects.
”The logic naturally is if you pay a fee, you'd want to keep the money local rather than send it to the general treasury,” Simpson said.
All recreational anglers who fish in federal waters will be required to register, according to NOAA. Anglers must register if they fish in tidal waters for migratory fish, such as striped bass and salmon, that spawn in rivers and spend their adult lives in estuaries and oceans.
However, anglers who fish recreationally for migratory fish inland of tidal waters would not have to register.
Anglers who fish on licensed party or charter boats, have permits to fish for highly migratory species, such as tuna, or are 16 years old or younger would be exempt under the federal rule. Most of the 23 coastal states already have a license program for saltwater fishing. Only Hawaii and the states stretching from New Jersey to Maine don't require a permit

[Striperjim]

Update thread


threads merged

[Striperjim]

Maine Dept of Marine resources plans to submit a bill to the legislature in January to create a saltwater licensing system the agency's deputy commissioner, David Etnier said Tuesday

[rambov]

Wow, interesting news. Thanks

[Striperjim]

Once anglers have registered, they may fish anywhere in U.S. federal waters, or in tidal waters for anadromous species, regardless of the region or regions they specified in their registration. The registration will be valid for one year from its date of issue. Anglers must comply with applicable state licensing requirements when fishing in state waters.
Saltwater anglers will be able to register online or by calling a toll-free telephone number that will be publicized, and will receive a registration certificate. Anglers will need to carry this certificate (or their state license from an exempt state) and produce it to an authorized enforcement officer if requested.
No fee will be charged in 2010.
An estimated fee of $15 to $25 per angler will be charged starting in 2011.
Anglers who fish only on licensed party, charter, or guide boats would not be required to register with NOAA since these vessels are surveyed separately from angler surveys. Those who hold angler permits to fish for highly migratory species, such as tunas or swordfish, and those fishing under commercial fishing licenses will also be exempt. Anglers registered or permitted to fish in a formal state or federal subsistence fishery will also be exempt, as will anglers under 16.
NOAA received nearly 500 comments from anglers, state officials, and fishing and environmental organizations on its proposed national registry rule during the comment period from June 12 until Aug. 21. The registry is one component of the agency’s new Marine Recreational Information Program, an initiative to enhance data collection on recreational catch and effort.
To read the final registry rule and other information about the Marine Recreational Information Program, go to: http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov

[Striperjim]

Maryland DNR news
What it will mean to Maryland

http://www.dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/saltwaterAR.html

[Striperjim]

New York State
Bureau of Marine Resources Council
http://www.dec.ny.gov/about/796.html
NYSDEC
Bureau of Marine Resources
205 North Belle Mead Road, Suite 1
East Setauket, New York 11733
631-444-0430

email us


A marine recreational fishing license discussion group was constituted in 2003 and recently reconstituted to continue its discussion of the pros and cons of a New York State marine recreational fishing license program in light of the impending federal registry program. That group's most recent discussions identified five issues that were key in formulating a state license program. These issues are:

1. License Cost – A little more than half the group felt that annual cost should be $4 - $10; a bit less than half thought the cost should be higher, enough to generate a revenue stream sufficient to improve or enhance DEC's marine resources management program, especially since the fee, once instituted, would likely not be increased for a long time.
2. Exemptions to the license requirement – Native Americans, under the age of 16, military personnel, handicapped military, and handicapped (blind only). A discount might be given to seniors and there is a recommendation for party/charter boats that just the boat would require a license, not each angler aboard.
3. Accountability – License revenues must go to a dedicated, secure fund and be used for the benefit of marine resources only. The consensus was that the existing Marine Resources Account is the best depository. There should also be some kind of control committee overseeing the expenditures of license revenues.
4. Reciprocity – It was agreed to honor what the adjacent states offer to New York marine anglers.
5. Availability – There was concern about the surge of people applying for a license all in the month of January; DEC is working on a web-based license procurement system and increasing the number of sales offices to help ease the transition.

Councilor Danielson thought the Council should have the opportunity to fine tune how some of these issues are handled before any licensing proposals goes further. Mr. Gilmore stated that the saltwater license proposal will be developed as a Departmental bill, ready for public comment.

____________________________________________________________________________

In New York, management of marine fisheries is the joint responsibility of the New York State Legislature and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The Legislature authorizes DEC to manage certain aspects of our marine fisheries by regulation and retains sole responsibility for other aspects of marine fisheries management. The Legislature can rescind or expand DEC’s regulatory authority and may pass a bill that supersedes any specific regulation. Of course, if the Legislature passes a bill, that bill must still be signed into law by the Governor before it can take effect.
All legislation being considered by the State Legislature (not just in marine fisheries or marine environmental issues, but in all issues of interest to the state) can be accessed through the World Wide Web Sites maintained by the New York State Senate (www.senate.state.ny.us) and the New York State Assembly (www.assembly.state.ny.us). The text of each bill is available, as is (usually) its legislative history and bill memo, which explains the reason(s) why the bill sponsor(s) think it is a good idea. Either site can be searched by bill number or by keyword (e.g., bluefish or "marine fisheries."
Also available through the these two web sites is the text of the Laws of New York, including the Environmental Conservation Law and its several articles dealing with marine fisheries and marine resources, generally.

[Striperjim]

The State of Delaware will institute a system using what is called a fin number that went into effect Jan. 1. This number is added to the license for purposes of data recovery for the NMFS
http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/News/P...FINNumber.aspx
Once all Delaware fishermen have obtained a F.I.N. number and the National Marine Fisheries Service has a copy of Delaware’s saltwater angler registry, Delaware will be exempt from the federal marine recreational fishing registry and future federal registry charges.

The state has also has added this clause to their license that was instituted beginning in 2008, something that other state legislatures should take a hard look at especially if they want to be re-elected.


Surf Fishing Permit - Residents and non-residents are exempt from fishing license requirements if they are the operator of a vehicle with a valid Delaware surf fishing vehicle permit when that vehicle is located on a designated Delaware State Park beach. Other occupants of that vehicle are required to have a fishing license if they are fishing.


A fishing license now covers both fresh and tidal waters, and for the first time, Delaware residents and non-residents fishing tidal waters must be licensed. License cost is the same for residents ($8.50) as in years past, whether fishing fresh or tidal waters, but costs more for non-residents who will fish either.

[VUNGTAU222]

I don't tell the DEC now what I catch, there is no way I will tell the Feds what I catch. If they expect to gather reliable information they are sadly mistaken.
And the fishing license fees will go to general cofers instead of fish management.
Seems to be just a money stream and they don't care about the fisheries at all.

[zimno1]

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE. the people who steal short fluke will ultimately have to pay for those shorties>>