noaa survey with enclosed $500 check

[judgejp]

Just recieved a noaa / mass fish and wildlife survey about saltwater recreational fishing in Massachusetts. Enclosed was a check for $500 dollars made out to me which I could cash if I was willing to relinquish my 2011 saltwater fishing privleges in Mass and return my saltwater permit. Has anyone else recieved this? It is a real check and I must decide by april 15. Id like to hear anyones opinion and if anyone else got one of these surveys

[Redsoxticket]

Keep the check and get yourself some therapy, troll
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[WESTPORTMAFIA]

I got one for $1000. You got ripped off.
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[zimmy]

dang, I hope they send me one

[Slingah]

I'll return my 2011 permit for $500.
Especially considering it is 2012

[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Slingah

I'll return my 2011 permit for $500.
Especially considering it is 2012

It's refundable. Just send a check for $50 bucks to Westportmafia. And you will be all set.
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[tysdad115]

Will you take cash? I hate to leave a paper trail.
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[WESTPORTMAFIA]

Originally Posted by tysdad115

Will you take cash? I hate to leave a paper trail.
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Yup. Although there is a $25 dollar fee for that. I will waive that fee if you pay at tctf
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[numbskull]

WTF!!!! You telling me our wives are now lobbying NOAA, too?

[BasicPatrick]

February 28, 2012
MarineFisheries Advisory

2012 MASSACHUSETTS SALTWATER ANGLER PERMIT SURVEY
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.
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 constituents 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.

[Joe]

What if you're strictly a poacher? What's the payoff to stop?

[piemma]

I think it will be impossible to regulate. What's to prevent some dirtbag from taking the $500 and fishing at 2AM? Who would know?

[Stewie]

I don't think I would give up saltwater fishing for a year for $500, maybe 3 or 4 thousand

[Stewie]

Actually, with the gas prices forecast, it might cost us $500 more each, this year.

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by Stewie

I don't think I would give up saltwater fishing for a year for $500, maybe 3 or 4 thousand

Cash the check, send back your MA license, and get a RI non-resident one.

[numbskull]

It is junk science. Total junk.

When guys are pissed about license fees and say no to paying more (even though they would if the had to) it will be translated into "recreational fishermen aren't committed to their hobby".

When guys keep the check and fish anyways (since $500 would cover any fine they get), it will be that recreational fishermen can be bought of cheaply so they don't value the fishery.

This reeks of NOAA's commercial bias and you can be damn sure it is used to counteract the political pressure actually counting recreational fishermen is going to create.

[tattoobob]

I wouldn't cash it no mater how much the check was for I get to much enjoyment from fishing

[robc22]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

I wouldn't cash it no mater how much the check was for I get to much enjoyment from fishing

In the course of one year in MA we go from fishing the salt for free.....a privilege we have enjoyed since the days of the mayflower to be offered by state and fed. gov. not to fish for a year in exchange for $500 bucks.......what's up with that??..........

[Stewie]

Maybe it's like the farm bills where they paid farmers not to grow wheat, or alfalfa. But instead of helping the struggling commercial fishermen, they give the money to the recs to stay home with their wives.

Gotta love this government of ours.

[Joe]

JudgeJP did not mention if it was a commercial saltwater license buyback. I know that's how they've eliminated/lessened some commercial fishing in the past - by buying back the comm licenses and not issuing new ones. It's form of attrition. Even die hards, die eventually, and their license becomes non transferable.
Within 20 years, fish that were once commercially viable, achieve defacto gamefish status - without the big uproar if one year they declared stripers as gamefish coast-wide. They prefer it to end not with a bang, but a whimper.

[saltyric]

These are the ideas we are paying people to come up with? How about better fisheries management.....Studies that actually make sense?......More enforcement officers to catch the poachers? They want to buy peoples rights to go fishing but its ok for the gill netters to dump thousands of pounds of bass overboard as by-catch? WTF

[saltyric]

Originally Posted by tattoobob

I wouldn't cash it no mater how much the check was for I get to much enjoyment from fishing

Exactly, it costs more than $500 to go skiing for one weekend! :

[judgejp]

I am not a commercial fisherman and this check was for my 2012 recreational saltwater permit. I'm not going to cash it and maybe thats the data they where looking for. That being said $500 would do alot to pay for hunting/fishing lic. and just plain bills. Being on the outer cape also makes it impractical to travel to RI or NH.

[numbskull]

Seems like a cruel curse to put on you. Pass it up and every time fishing stinks you'll regret it. Claim it and every time fishing is good you'll regret it. Can't win.

[judgejp]

cruel curse is exactly right. I got a call from the Globe and the reporter said she spoke to the survey people. They sent out checks of varying amounts with $500 being the most. Some of the surveys just asked how much you would need to be offerred for you to give up your permit and some like mine had actual checks. She said these offers will go out in four groups of mailings over the next few weeks.
She did say that the survey people said it had nothing to do with
fees for Permits or Lic. but to gauge economic impact of recreational fishing both real and perceived.

[Joe]

I don't like it. It puts a price on freedom and makes the poor more likely to be excluded out of necessity. It's like something out of a dystopian novel.
It's a very dark alley of relinquishment by economic means. Where does it lead? Will the day come when checks come in with offers to women for her eggs, or if you are willing to part with a kidney for the right price - or one cornea. It dovetails nicely with high unemployment and desperation.

[Mr. Sandman]

I get 4 lic's for my family....I would cash 3 checks keep one (mine) and then just take them out for boat rides and technically they would not be fishing. The 1500 would be helpful to offset fuel costs.
Better yet I could technically take them "charter fishing" , where you don't need a individual lic. I hope I get 4 $500 checks in the mail, that would be cool.

[Matt D]

Or just print out another one. Last I knew you could make as many copies as you wanted. Can't imagine EPO's having a list to check and see if you sold it back.

[Alhbg]

My interpretation is that NOAA/ASMFC is trying to get a handle on the economic value of the recreational fishing segment. They already have numbers for the commercial segment and need to have something for the Recs in order to weigh decisions that could affect each sector. Remember, they do report to the Department of Commerce.

Since the Recs don't earn income from the fish they catch, how does one determine the value? NOAA has already asked Recs (me included) how much they spend on fishing, but that doesn't reveal the real value. I think the question asked about how much you would be willing to take in order to give up fishing is just a market research tool to come up with a measure.

I spent about $2,800 last season but It would take $10,000 or more for me to give it up.

[Nebe]

Every dirtbag that would leave their trash along the rocks would cash those checks and continue to fish. This is rediculous.
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