Am I the only one who saw this on the news a couple of days ago. A saltwater license, federal, has been approved. Supposedly its free for the first two years and a charge for one will occur in the third year. This was on the TV a couple of days ago. I haven't been on-line in the last few days until this morning. I completely forgot about it until I was eating a few minutes ago and didn't remember seeing any post about it when I was on this morning. I can't be the only one who saw this on the tube. Licensng authoties want to keep track of what we are catching, catching and keeping, or catching and releasing.

1). A Striped Bass Tag : $23.50

2). A Bluefish Tag: $18.75

3). A Beach Wildlife mandatory fee: $13.50

4). A bait fish usage fee: $12.50

5). Night time fishing surcharge for additional ranger coverage: $21.75

6). Restroom maintenance fee: $9.75

7). Beach front Parking fee: $27.95

8). Dune maintenance fee: $21.75

On a positive note you can receive a small yearly subsidy YTBD for staying off the beaches.

Can't even do something as simple as fishing anymore without paying the government! This really pisses me off!!!:af:

By Beth Daley
Globe Staff

The only thing anyone's ever needed to sportfish off New England's coast
is a rod, reel, and good luck.
more stories like this

Now, the more than 2.5 million people who fish for fun here will
probably need a license.

The federal agency that manages fishing announced yesterday that it
intends to require most saltwater anglers to register before fishing
begins in 2009 and plans to start charging for the privilege by 2011.

Fishery officials have grown increasingly concerned about how many fish
the nation's recreational fishermen reel in from the ocean each year.

"This will lead to better stock assessments and more effective
regulations to rebuild and manage these valuable fish," said Jim
Balsiger, acting assistant administrator for the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service.

The rule will mean most fishermen - whether fishing from a dock, beach,
or a boat - will have to have a permit. State waters within 3 miles of
shore aren't normally covered by federal rules. But the new regulation
would apply to fishermen who might catch any species that travels
between fresh and saltwater, such as striped bass, one of the most
popular New England sportfish.

Although licensing fees will probably not be more than $25 a year,
Northeast fishermen say they shouldn't have to pay for the pleasure of
pursuing a beloved, centuries-old pastime. So deep-seated is the belief
that recreational fishing in the ocean should be free, it's partly why
attempts by Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine, and Connecticut to
require saltwater sportfishing licensing in recent years have failed.

The resistance is largely a Northeast phenomenon. Of the 23 coastal
states, only the seven stretching from Maine to New Jersey, plus Hawaii,
do not require licenses for saltwater recreational fishing. Virtually
every state, including Massachusetts, has licensing programs for
freshwater fishing. But most freshwater fishermen believe they are
paying for the state's trout stocking programs, said Kevin Blinkoff,
editor of the Falmouth-based fishing magazine On The Water, who has been
covering the issue. Saltwater fishermen may not see a similar direct
benefit.

"A lot of locals have been fishing since 1941, and now they have to pay
for a license?" said Richard Generazio of Falmouth Bait and Tackle Co.
He said that fishermen are not opposed to better data collection, but
that businesses such as his will suffer because tourists may initially
balk at paying a fee to fish for a day or two.

Federal officials estimate that the nation's more than 14 million
saltwater sportfishermen catch 257 million pounds of fish a year - a
minuscule amount compared with commercial fishing's 9.4 billion pounds -
yet their proportion of the nation's total fishing catch is growing as
commercial fishing becomes more restricted. While saltwater
sportfishermen do have some restrictions on the size and number of fish
they can catch, commercial fishermen have bitterly complained to fishing
managers that sportfishermen face little enforcement and monitoring and
could be catching more than they should.

Fishery managers acknowledge that their estimates of sportfishing
catches could be wildly wrong. For 28 years, they have relied on an
annual survey that randomly asks residents of coastal counties whether
they fish and, if so, how many fish they catch each year. The survey
also is conducted at public docks. But residents who have only
cellphones are missed, as are those who fish from private docks or who
come to shore at night. Federal officials suspect they are
underestimating the catch in some places but say they could be
overestimating it in others. Better data collection could mean more
restrictions in some fisheries and a loosening of them in others.
more stories like this

The new program, part of the 2007 reauthorization of the nation's
federal fisheries law, should result in a more accurate survey,
officials said. The licensing requirement will not affect charter boat
tourists, whose catches are already counted under a different program.

The NOAA Fisheries Service wants states to do most of the work in
issuing licenses and collecting money. As an incentive, states that do
so will be able to keep the fees. Mary Griffin, Massachusetts Department
of Fish and Game commissioner, said the state is considering doing just
that for the estimated 1.2 million people who saltwater fish here each year.

"We are reaching out to fishing recreation groups to get their input on
what the state's options are," Griffin said.

NOAA officials are expected to come up with a penalty system when the
final rule comes out in November. Registration could possibly take place
online, officials said. Federal and state officials said any
registration program would probably be enforced by the US Coast Guard,
state environmental police, and federal fishery enforcement officers.

The federal government is soliciting public comments through Aug. 11 on
the registry program. For more information go to www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.

Federal officials said that anglers under the age of 16 would be exempt
from registering, and that fees would be waived for indigenous people,
such as Native Americans.

Blinkoff said the new registration could result in more political clout
for recreational saltwater fishermen because federal officials will have
a better idea of not only what they catch, but probably how many people
are fishing and what they are spending to do so.

Yet fishermen stressed yesterday that their main concern was the fee.
Some said they wouldn't mind paying if they could be sure it would go to
support saltwater fisheries, but some states' proposals in the past had
money going to the state's general fund.

"The way it stands right now we have no problem with it, but people are
already grumbling about the money," said Stephen Medeiros, president of
the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association. He also expressed
concern that people who need to fish to supply food for their families
will not be able to pay any licensing fee.

"It's going to take away from the sport," he said.

Beth Daley can be reached at bdaley@globe.com.
© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
:chatter:chatter:chatter:chatter:chatter:chatter

As long as the money goes towards conservation I couldn't really care less.

-spence

As long as the money goes towards conservation I couldn't really care less.

-spence

same here.

Florida has had a SW license for close to 20 years, and it doesn't seem to hurt the tourist trade one single bit. Also, the federal registration isn't going to be necessary to fish--only to keep any bass or shad that you catch. They can't stop you from fishing for "bluefish" as long as you release any bass that you "accidently" catch ;)

The simple fact of the matter is that in Florida and along the Gulf Coast, not only didn't a license stop people from fishing, but in every instance fishing got better after a license was instituted. The fisheries were managed better. It let the politicians know how many people fish. For many years in Florida, the commercial netters blocked attempts to institute an inshore net ban by backroom deals in Tallahassee. The Florida Sportsman took a look at how mnay licenses were issued, and figured that getting a net ban on the referendum ballot, as an amendment to the state constitution, was feasible. They did, and it passed with 72% of the votes.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday June 12, 2008

MA Salt Water Fishing Registry (aka: License) Process to Begin

A statement from the Massachusetts Striped Bass Association

This morning, in newspapers across the state, it is being reported that
beginning in 2009, the federal government has announced a plan through
NOAA/Fisheries to institute a recreational angler registry in states
that do not have a salt water angler registration (read: license), and
this includes MA. This action is the result of a requirement in the
Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act passed in congress last year and
has been anticipated for some time. This announcement will without a
doubt trigger the formal process of MA considering developing a salt
water fishing license.

There are many unanswered questions and issues involved in and related
to the upcoming process and MSBA has been preparing our involvement for
over a year. Over the past winter on behalf of the club I approached
both the head of the MA DMF Sport Fishing Program, Dr. Mike Armstrong
and MA DMF Director Paul Diodati and suggested that the DMF not wait to
be forced into this process by a federal proposal and be proactive and
convene a committee of recreational fishing representatives to explore
options for MA recreational anglers. I am happy to report that last
week, MSBA was invited to participate in just such a committee. MSBA
President Bill Prodouz has appointed MSBA Past President and Gov't
Affairs Officer Patrick Paquette to represent and also educate and
inform the MSBA membership throughout this process.

Historically, MSBA has been opposed to a Salt Water Fishing License
and that position will not change without a vote of the MSBA Membership.
Conversations with and between members both on and off the floor of MSBA
monthly meetings indicates the MSBA membership is open minded to some
sort of registry/license if it contained certain details that would
benefit our fishing community and would not result in just another tax.
Being affiliated nationally with the Recreational Fishing Alliance also
has enabled MSBA to learn about registry/license details that have and
have not worked in other states. In the coming months, MSBA will
communicate accurate information to our membership via our newsletter
and website www.msba.net and will undergo the process of making
decisions and taking positions. As always, MSBA is prepared for the
coming process and will help lead the MA recreational fishing community
through the upcoming process.

One note of caution: In the coming days and weeks there will be a great
deal of speculation, rumor, confusion and mis-information written in
newspapers and on the internet about the "pending" registry/license and
related processes. MSBA urges all MA recreational anglers to avoid
joining the inevitable emotional roller coaster and resist the urge to
react to every bit of information. Our state has a fifty plus year
history of organized recreational fishing organizations and the best way
to address the issues is through these organizations that have the
experience and relationships needed to navigate through the political
process we now face.

In addition to participating on the MA DMF committee mentioned above,
MSBA has already taken action to provide our membership with accurate
information. At the MSBA membership meeting on June 25th, in addition to
the monthly entertainment, this month supplied by Armand Tetreault of
Rhode Island Poppers, MSBA will shorten it's regular business meeting in
order to hear a 20 minute presentation, without debate, from the federal
agencies developing the angler registration program announced today.




__._,_.___

There is also a proposal for a Breathing Tax. If you breath the air you must buy a license starting in 2011. It was also announced that government employees associated with the implimentation of the new saltwater fishing license will not need the new breathing license since they seldom take their heads out of their butts and therefore do not breath the air.

User fees = taxation without representation. Start adding them up because they are going to go up , up ,up. User fees are the way to tax people without getting voted out of office for raising true taxes.

I predict that someday , your whole paycheck will go to the government and you will have to file forms showing specific needs to get some money back.

I pity the children of the future.

Most of the money will go in the general fund just like the money that was won in the lawsuites against the tobbacco companies.

Take, take, take, take!!!! When do we get to keep any of our money! Doesn't this "Dingle Johnson" 10% Federal tax on all those selling fishing gear and such already cover all those costs that the sportfishing license will supposedly fund?!?!?!? Just another way for the Government to wring every last possible nickle out of our a$$!!!!:wall:

You (new englanders) keep voting in the same people who love taxing anything and everything... It will get a lot worse before it gets better.

BTW, the money isn't going to benefit fishermen, we all know it that is the biggest lie ever. Just like the tobacco payout was suppose to pay for health related and tobacco sensation issues...it went to pay to fill potholes and misc BS.

same here.

same with Nebe... if the money is for a good cause then I am all for it... I have always had to pay for freshwater all my life... however, remember MA and RI are one of FEW states that don't require a salt license... so we all know its bound to happen at some point...

KarlF I didn't mean to introduce this as a new idea. Only to say that in the article that VanStal was kind enough to post in its entirety, it seems that the license is coming to fruition.

I know its like beating a dead horse with all the banter we have had around here about it. But this time it seems like its right around the corner.

On the front page of the vineyard gazette a story is written about "registry steering committee" meeting that willoccurr somewhere in Falmouth on June 19, 2008. The article explains just about everything.

If it will stop the epa from telling me they can't help me when I find poachers then I'm all for it!

Call DEM, not EPA. makes it a bit easier....

This "IS" coming. I, as others hate it, but its coing. I lived in California where it's been required for years. Since before the 70's. Don't know where the money went??? Then I lived in Maryland where it was required to have a license to fish the Chesepeake Bay and tidal Potomac River. I've since moved to Maine but have followed this subject North as more and more states are starting to push for a Saltwater Fishing License rather then the money go to a Federal Program. So it's coming!

In Maryland, as I said, we were required to have a Saltwater Fishing License but we were given the option of purchasing a Saltwater Fishing License for our BOAT. As a Private Boat Owner, Non-Commercial, I could purchase a Saltwater Fishing License for my boat, $40, which enabled anyone onboard my boat to fish license free. $40 is just over the cost for a license for my Wife and myself. This was a popular option. I received a State decal to place next to my registration numbers on my boat. My occasional fishing friends or any visitors were able to got out fishing with me and not have to worry about a fishing license.

BUT! the catch was, I was required to keep a log on any Stripers caught and KEPT listing the date, size and location of that catch. This was reported to the Natural Resourses Department at renewal time. CATCH AND RELEASE NOT INCLUDED.

I'd like to see this implimented all up the coast. So push for this option in your state. We'll be required to purchase a license anyways.

This is coming and this year. It is being looked at now by our (great )law makers here in Mass. and will be in place by the end of the year so they can control it and not the Feds. There are lots of ideas and ways to do this but for now it is still in committee. The only thing to come out so far is a possible $5.00 fee to get it going. Then we can count on them to raise it to fill their pockets and budgets later. I am all for money that goes to the sport but do not think this will happen:crying: Can you just see some of these guys up in the state house licking their chops over this money and they don't even have it yet.

the money will probably go to subsidize low income families to buy home heating oil. The money will not benefit fishermen.

Frankly I don't see any point in it other than to provide an improved method of counting the number of fishermen.

Enforcement will be a joke.

That said, the state has collected significant some of money from the fishing industry already in the form of excise taxes on fishing stuff ( ask salty about that) This money has been sitting around for a while and it now looks like MV will get a chuck of it in the form of a fishing pier. That's right the STATE is going to build a fishing pier in oak bluffs next to the steamship pier and entrance to OB harbor. (its under design now and construction is slated within to happen pretty soon I think) It will not cost us a thing except for trash pick up) I am all for this. It is a great place for kids to spend time. (sittin' on the dock of the bay...)