My wife just got this email...I have not received a thing yet...
Clarification from Director Paul Diodati regarding 2012

The Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) is collaborating with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to collect information on the Commonwealth’s recreational saltwater fishery to measure its economic value. In addition to providing important information about the socio-economic value of saltwater fishing in Massachusetts, this federally funded study will help to validate frequently used economic evaluation methods by applying an innovative direct approach in which some saltwater permit holders are presented with a cash offer in exchange for giving up their permit and thus the right to fish in marine waters for the remainder of 2012. Other permit holders will receive a survey asking for either their willingness to sell their 2012 permit for a particular price or their willingness to have paid a different amount for their 2012 permit.

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MarineFisheries is issuing this Advisory to attest to the legitimacy of this angler permit survey, including the cash offers that some individuals will receive, and to assure its permit holders that in no way will the information from the survey be used to modify fees for Massachusetts’ recreational saltwater fishing permits.
Participation in the survey is voluntary; however, MarineFisheries highly encourages your response based on the important information that will be gathered. Past studies on the contribution of recreational fishing to the Commonwealth’s economy have considered the number of jobs and the amount of sales and incomes that are supported by the expenditures of saltwater recreational fishermen, but have not included the value that anglers place on being able to go saltwater fishing. This type of information holds great worth; for example, it would be necessary for a comprehensive estimate of economic losses to the recreational fishery if for some reason Massachusetts’ waters had to be closed to fishing.

MarineFisheries is maintaining a list of Commonly Asked Questions about the 2012 Massachusetts Saltwater Angler Permit Survey under the recreational permit page of its website: Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries. General questions about MarineFisheries involvement can be directed to Nichola Meserve (nichola.meserve@state.ma.us). Technical questions regarding the study should be directed to Quantech, Inc., the statistical analysis and survey research firm contracted by NMFS to conduct the survey. Please contact Daemian Schreiber at 800-229-5220 ext 7831, or mavs@quantech.com.
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in no way will the information from the survey be used to modify fees for Massachusetts’ recreational saltwater fishing permits. ....:biglaugh: That is almost funny. I wonder if my local B&T store will accept the endorsed check to buy more gear ;)

Quite frankly I think the economic value of the fishery would be higher if THEY WERE DOING A BETTER JOB of protecting the resource! This latest codfish debacle borders on criminal if you ask me

As for how much it would take to give it up?... I suppose everyone has their price but again, I wish they would spend this effort trying to do what they are suppose to be doing...protecting the fishery. The real economic value is huge, this has already been determined by others. SWS had an article on it a few years ago. If you look at all related expenses in order to go fishing it is very large for some. My ball park expenses for last year (does not include boats cost, shipping , etc) were 8K fuel, Misc (Ins, permits, ect)2.5K, dockage, 2.5K, boatyard and boat related expenses 5K, fishing tackle; 5K, Travel/Hotel: 3K, Surf fishing related expenses: ( permits, tackle, etc) 1.5K. I suspect I spend a bit more than the average boat guy but I am sure they have a handle on it, if they multiply the number of boat guys by that number and add the number of surf guys times their average expense they will get in the ballpark on the economic value of fishing. SO if they give me 500 will I give it up? No but I will cash all checks sent to me and use the money for "boating" related expenses.

i just recieved the same letter,this is being posted in another thread on this site also

I don't understand how paying someone any amount of money not to fish for a year is going to; provide important information about the socio-economic value of saltwater fishing in Massachusetts

From a fisheries standpoint - say you pay off all the poor people to quit, and that's maybe half. Then you jack up the fees for the half that can afford it. Then, a certain number who wouldn't quit for $500, will quit if you offer them $2000.
Now you're down to maybe 20% of the pressure on the fishery. Which means, the fishery should recover, and won't need as much management, so you can lay off half the enforcement and fisheries management people too.
Thus, at the end of the plan - each caught fish now brings in a ton of money and the fishery becomes super great and the domain of the rich. Who will flock to the area to experience the greatest striper fishing in the world. And the only people that suffer are the filthy poor, and some marginal tackle shop and motel owners.

My brother in law just sent me this article from the Boston Globe.
In fishing study, US dangles $500 bait - Business - The Boston Globe

This speaks volumes of the kind of people that would cash the check. We are being played and we should be damn pissed about it. I would wipe my ass with the check and send it unsigned to the Obama campaign to cash!

I would tell them " Fishing is priceless, now go #^&#^&#^&#^& yourself....."

Yeah,
I would pay them $500 to stop sending me emails and leave me the F&^%k alone. Oh wait, I already did that.

Maybe for their next act they will pay me $1000 to stop having fun for the year.

Why do I feel like PETA is behind this somehow?

And when they've bought all your freedoms and the checks stop coming, then where are you? Pretty close to right here I'd guess. No money and all the bills.

I am by no means an economist and have no training as such ... but can we honestly believe that someone went to college or graduate school to receive an economics degree to come up with this idea ... ????

Once again, this department of the government is operating bass ackwards on the management of a truly valuable resource .... and activity.

The economic value of fishing goes much further beyond tackle and fuel, even lodging ... but also food, clothing, hospital bills when you slip on a dock or take a chinner on the rocks ... yes those two heinous accidents were quite costly and occurred while fishing ... the ancillary expenses, I believe are much more dramatic.

And, as already stated, they should be spending the money and their efforts on protecting the stocks further.

This is a truly a misguided effort ... completely absurd.

Very true

i dont get this at all

They want to raise the price of the permits. What's not to get?