Federal proposal leads to saltwater fishing license

By Nelson Sigelman
Published: June 19, 2008

More than 11 years ago, Massachusetts' fisheries officials embarked on a series of public meetings to float the idea of a saltwater fishing license. The proposal sank like a lead weight.

It was not the first time a marine fishing license had been proposed. A poorly organized 1986 effort died in the State House after intense criticism from recreational fishing interests.

But times and the players on the dock have changed. The federal agency responsible for fisheries management is now proposing a saltwater license, and states will have no choice but to go along with the rules.

Last week the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Service (NOAA) announced plans for a national registry of saltwater anglers beginning in 2009. NOAA would require fishermen to be registered annually but would not charge a registration fee in the first two years.

Beginning in 2011, the annual fee will be an estimated $15 to $25 per angler. Anglers under the age of 16 would be exempt from registering, and fees would be waived for members of federally recognized tribes.

NOAA registration would not be required for fishermen if they already have a state-issued saltwater fishing license or registration, and the state meets NOAA's information reporting requirements.

"States without saltwater licenses have a strong incentive to adopt licenses," said Jim Balsiger, NOAA acting assistant administrator in a press release issued June 11. "Any fee that a state collects through a license can be used for restoration and fishery management in the state. By law, the registry fee taken by NOAA will offset the cost of issuing the registration. It can not be specifically directed to fisheries management."

More than a decade ago Paul Diodati, then manager of the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) sport fisheries program, had the unenviable task of selling the benefits of a saltwater license to sport fishermen around the state. He encountered often strong criticism from fishermen who viewed any license as an assault on their freedom to fish and a funding mechanism for an expanded marine fisheries bureaucracy.

Last month, Mr. Diodati, now DMF director, appeared before a group of fishermen to speak about commercial fisheries issues during a program at the Chilmark Library.

Mr. Diodati said his agency would be moving to implement a saltwater license in order to maintain division control over regulations and licensing fees.

DMF has invited representatives of the recreational fishing community, including tackle shop owners, charter captains, and fishing organization representatives to sit on a committee designed to provide input as DMF moves forward with plans for a state-issued license. The committee meets for the first time today in Falmouth.

Ed Jerome of Edgartown, president of the Martha's Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby and retired Edgartown School principal, is a member of the committee.

Mr. Jerome, who now operates a charter fishing boat, said he thinks the state is taking a good approach that would ultimately prove beneficial to the goal of fisheries management. He said that while there are a number of licensing questions that must be answered, there are many models to look at. "Florida has been doing it for a long time," he said.

The push for a saltwater fishing registry is linked to an effort to provide better and more accurate catch data as part of an overall effort to rebuild depleted fish stocks and maintain those that are healthy.

"The national registry of saltwater anglers is the key to closing a major gap in information on recreational fishing," said Mr. Balsiger. "It will help us conduct surveys to get a more complete picture of how recreational fishing by an estimated 14 million people is affecting fish stocks. This will lead to better stock assessments and more effective regulations to rebuild and manage these valuable fish."

NOAA said states on the West Coast (including Alaska), the Gulf Coast, and the South Atlantic offer saltwater fishing licenses. Hawaii and the states from New Jersey to Maine do not.

Under the federal proposal, anglers who fish only on licensed party, charter, or guide boats would also be exempt, since these vessels are surveyed separately from the angler surveys. Also, persons who hold commercial fishing licenses or permits and are legally fishing under them would be exempt from the registration requirement.

To read the proposed NOAA rule, go to www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.

Comments on the proposed rule will be accepted until Aug. 11. They can be mailed to: John Boreman, Director, Office of Science and Technology, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910 Attn.: Gordon Colvin

Comments can also be submitted electronically at www.regulations.gov.