State proposes new fees for Fishermen

[RIROCKHOUND]

Originally Posted by The Dad Fisherman

I doubt it will generate the revenue they expect.........considering they only have 13 miles of coastline. People will just go to Maine or Mass.

Charter boat guys will get screwed because they don't have that option.

I think a lot of time there is a charter 'rate' that covers customers. Another cost, but not a huge deterrent...

[FishermanTim]

Who's proverbial "pet project" will this funds be syphoned to pay for?
Which state legislator will tap the fund to pay for his/her "wet-dream" project?
I don't think people are as pissed at the fact of a fee for fishing as they are at the fact that the funds will be mis-appropriated by any number of "sticky-fingered" scumbags at the top.
(Remeber a couple of years ago when the state tried to "appropriate" the funds from the Mass Wildlife Dept.?)
I wouldn't be completely against a saltwater fee if it was affordable/cheap enough and the funds stayed with the Fish and Game Dept., and were not given to the state as revenue.
The state waste enough of our money on themselves, so why give them more money to lose?

[ThomCat]

As opposed to the state of Fla. for instance, where all moneys generated from lisences has to go back into fisheries by law, RI insisted all moneys go into the general fund. Therefore this money can be used to balance the budget, fund unrelated projects or even plow the streets of Providence, how ever they see fit. I was at the meeting between RISAA and Jan Reitsma when he was the director and he told us up front that even if the present administration commited these moneys to salwater related projects, the next administration could overturn it immediatly upon taking over.
Catch'em up,
ThomCat
BTW If it weren't for the efforts of RISAA, Rhode Island would already have had a SW liscense for several years now.