
OPEN SEASON: Leap year for licenses
By MARC FolCO
Open Season
January 04, 2009 6:00 AM
Saltwater anglers and spearfishers got a one-year reprieve
By MARC FolCO
Open Season
January 04, 2009 6:00 AM
Saltwater anglers and spearfishers got a one-year reprieve
from the proposed Saltwater Fishing License as NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries Service ruled late in December that the Jan. 1, 2009 date to implement the National Saltwater Angler Registry is being put off a year, to Jan. 1, 2010. This gives states, including Massachusetts, another year to put their own data-collection systems in place. Anglers who live in states without their own saltwater registry/licensing system, will be obliged to register with the federal registry, which will be free until 2011, after which it's expected that a $15-25 annual fee will be imposed.
Aimed at improving collection and accuracy of recreational harvest statistics, the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act required all U.S. saltwater recreational anglers to be registered federally (or through a state) by 2009. NOAA issued a final rule, however, extending that deadline by one year.
Anglers will be required to register with NOAA if they are not licensed or registered in a state that has its own program if they: fish in federal ocean waters or if they fish in tidal waters for anadromous species (migratory fish such as striped bass and salmon that spawn in rivers and spend their adult lives in estuaries and oceans). However, those who fish recreationally for these migratory species inland of tidal waters need not register, according to the final rule.
Federal saltwater angler registrations will include the angler's name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and the regions where they intend to fish. The information will be used to conduct surveys on fishing effort and numbers of fish caught. 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. Anglers will be able to register online or by calling a toll-free 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.
Those 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 age 16.
MarineFisheries established a steering committee last year and is working aggressively to discuss the benefits of a state license and possibly implement a Mass. saltwater license by 2010. To be exempted from the federal registry, a state's data collection system must be acceptable by NOAA's standards.
A state license, which could be required of all saltwater anglers and have its own set of regulations, would be more beneficial to anglers and the state agency than the federal registry. Revenues generated from license fees would remain in Massachusetts to fund new recreational fisheries programs and greatly improve current ones. Fees paid into the federal registry, however, could go anywhere, not necessarily here.
According to MarineFisheries, the striped bass is the backbone of our recreational saltwater fishing industry, helping to drive nearly $1 billion annually into the economy. About 1 million anglers fish the state's marine waters every year, with over 40 percent of that number composed of visitors from other states and countries. Our state also offers 1,800 miles of coastline and as many as 70 different species of fish have been identified in our recreational catch, including record catches of giant bluefin tuna, flounder, cod, bluefish, tautog and scup.
Aimed at improving collection and accuracy of recreational harvest statistics, the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act required all U.S. saltwater recreational anglers to be registered federally (or through a state) by 2009. NOAA issued a final rule, however, extending that deadline by one year.
Anglers will be required to register with NOAA if they are not licensed or registered in a state that has its own program if they: fish in federal ocean waters or if they fish in tidal waters for anadromous species (migratory fish such as striped bass and salmon that spawn in rivers and spend their adult lives in estuaries and oceans). However, those who fish recreationally for these migratory species inland of tidal waters need not register, according to the final rule.
Federal saltwater angler registrations will include the angler's name, date of birth, address, telephone number, and the regions where they intend to fish. The information will be used to conduct surveys on fishing effort and numbers of fish caught. 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. Anglers will be able to register online or by calling a toll-free 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.
Those 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 age 16.
MarineFisheries established a steering committee last year and is working aggressively to discuss the benefits of a state license and possibly implement a Mass. saltwater license by 2010. To be exempted from the federal registry, a state's data collection system must be acceptable by NOAA's standards.
A state license, which could be required of all saltwater anglers and have its own set of regulations, would be more beneficial to anglers and the state agency than the federal registry. Revenues generated from license fees would remain in Massachusetts to fund new recreational fisheries programs and greatly improve current ones. Fees paid into the federal registry, however, could go anywhere, not necessarily here.
According to MarineFisheries, the striped bass is the backbone of our recreational saltwater fishing industry, helping to drive nearly $1 billion annually into the economy. About 1 million anglers fish the state's marine waters every year, with over 40 percent of that number composed of visitors from other states and countries. Our state also offers 1,800 miles of coastline and as many as 70 different species of fish have been identified in our recreational catch, including record catches of giant bluefin tuna, flounder, cod, bluefish, tautog and scup.
I saw something about this on a forum last year and wondered what happened. So now I know.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Ah, the power of communication.... long live the blog.
ReplyDeleteActually, looking for news items of interest, i found this and it was the first I heard about it...
so this year should be celebrated as the last year of no-fee marine fishing!