Kiss it goodbye....

[leptar]

What i learned about where the money goes when I read the freaking thing!!!

Originally Posted by OntheWater_Reg_Watch_4_07.doc

" The purpose of a national registry of saltwater anglers, according to Forbes Darby, National Recreational Fisheries Coordinator at NOAA, is not to create a new tax to squeeze money out of anglers. “The goal is to make it possible to collect the best data to best manage the fishery,” said Darby. Currently, NOAA’s Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS) is the primary way scientists and managers count how many fish recreational fishermen are catching and keeping each year. The survey relies on randomly dialing households in coastal counties to track recreational fishermen, a highly inefficient process in which many anglers are missed and many non-angler households are phoned. By building a virtual phonebook of anglers, the registry would make counting fishermen and conducting a survey substantially more accurate and efficient."

Every other state that has this in effect has no problems with it... other then the occasional fine and confiscation of gear from those that choose to violate the rule in effect...

[leptar]

This doesn't mean that every area will require people to have a license...

I know from what i have read on-line that you don't need to buy a license when fishing on a head/charter boat... Also some piers have a "pier license" that allow you to fish off the pier without having a license...

Rates range from $12.50 to $21.00 for residents and $30.00-$90.00 for non-residents depending on the State...

From what i read the rates would change to $15/$30 once we reach 2009 when we go federal.. I believe Rhode Island will be the only state exempt from participating in the license on a Federal Level.

[Striperknight]

I fished VA last summer and needed a saltwater license. I was the only guy at the inlet with one. Everyone else chose to ignore it. The fishing was bad as well.

[wrikerjr]

like everyone has said - where will the money go. Obviously 100% of the money wont go to fishing but what type of % are we talking about.

Also how will this be enforced. The freshwater license thing is a joke for the most part as I think i am the only person who ever has one.

what happens to the raised funds and who will enforce the rules???

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by leptar

What i learned about where the money goes when I read the freaking thing!!!

Every other state that has this in effect has no problems with it... other then the occasional fine and confiscation of gear from those that choose to violate the rule in effect...

That's right. People don't read the fine print or take the time to understand that this is a good opportunity, not a tax as the sensationalists claim.
Perhaps I'm too optimistic, but having the opportunity to implement a data gathering mechanism aids in formulating informed opinions and potentially objective management decisions. Right now that kind of stuff doesn't exist.
This thing isn't about enforcement; it’s about positioning for the future. No doubt there will be some fallout from this thing and some feathers will be ruffled, but my feeling is that it’s a good first step. Those that think the funding is going to put more green police on the beat so as to catch and prosecute the choggie poachers are missing the point. It’s a lot bigger than that.