Federal Agency Considering Requiring Recreational Fishing Permits

AP via TBO.com ^ | Apr 26, 2002 | AP Source

[greydog]

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - The federal government is considering requiring recreational anglers to get a permit before fishing for species such as swordfish and shark in the Atlantic.

The permits would be required before fishing for highly migratory species of tunas, billfish, swordfish and sharks, the National Marine Fisheries Service said.

“The use of an annual permit in the HMS recreational category will allow us to better define how anglers participate in the Atlantic highly migratory species fisheries and affect the economies of coastal communities,” said Bill Hogarth, director of the fisheries division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Christopher Rogers said the proposal adds several species to current permit requirements. The permits would cover a year and would cost about $27, he said. While recreational anglers are not now required to get permits to fish for most of these species, there are bag limits on many of them.

The agency is seeking comments on its proposal which can be sent via e-mail through the agency’s Internet site at http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov.

AP-ES-04-26-02 1200EDT

[greydog]

The use of an annual permit in the HMS recreational category will allow us to better define how anglers participate in the Atlantic highly migratory species fisheries

Bullsh^t. Complete and utter Bullsh^t.

I used to draw up annual and quarterly budget requests in the USMC (giving an excuse for spending monies) and this trumps anything I thought up.

[Black Agnes]

When do permits for air breathing and the rest kick in?

[joesnuffy]

Just issue nets to all naval vessles...they can fish and patrol at the same time
Fish can be fed to the troops and put on ice or transfered to another vessle
and sold at Wallmarts

[Mr. Bird]

The permits would cover a year and would cost about $27, he said

Well, any revenue enhancement would be offset by the loss of tax revenues from the numerous excursion boats that would go belly up.

[CJ Wolf]

hmm, can they require permits if they are 12 miles out in international waters?

[FreeTally]

hmm, can they require permits if they are 12 miles out in international waters?

Yep, 'cuz you got to cross back into U.S. waters to make it back to dock.

[John H K]

The United States has full control over ALL fisheries up to 200 miles offshore (the EEZ); thus, the US has de facto partial sovereignty out that far.

[BraveMan]

I'm lost here. Don't the respective costal states require fishing licenses? Are the feds trying to blow sunshine up my butt by telling me they can't track through the state data how anglers participate in the Atlantic species fisheries?

FWIW, my Wisconsin Great Lakes fishing license was a little over $26 . . .

[John H K]

This actually is less of something new than the press release seems to imply; charter boats and party boats ALREADY have to buy a permit to catch most anything in Federal waters, including summer flounder, black sea bass, bluefin tuna, etc. They're just adding species.

And it doesn't mean that every time someone wants to ride on a partyboat in Federal Waters they have to buy a $27 permit; what they mean is a permit per BOAT per year, if a private boater wanted to fish for those species. The permit a charter or partyboat buys for a year covers all the passengers on the boat.

[John H K]

All the states of the West Coast and the Gulf of Mexico and the Southeast require a saltwater fishing license; NONE of the states from North Carolina to Maine require one.

Maryland and Virginia require a license to fish the (saltwater) Chesapeake Bay, but not the Atlantic coast, and they have full reciprocity. This summer, Virginia is extending the license requirement to the coast (same license as the Chesapeake one, don't need to buy a new one.)

Whether to have a saltwater license is a major political controversy in pretty much all the Mid-Atlantic and New England states.

[gnarledmaw]

Why not do like Paine suggested and just mount guns & rockets on fishing vessels?

[Soul Citizen]

This is a takings whereby the federal government will in the end only rob the fund for other government expenditures.

It is being done under the guise of fisheries research however the government cannot be trusted to manage the money!

KEEP IT FREE FR!

[Soul Citizen]

I hated the Virginia law translating it to understand where exactly someone might be fishing.

Fishing license for the Chesapeake Bay, was that inside the bridge tunnel, or a point somewhere at the mouth between fishermans island and Fort Story?

Then there is also the problem of the funds for fisheries infrastructure like boat ramps being allowed to build waterfront parks, management of money becomes a buracracy.

Once these thing are voted in they never expire or sunset away, we become slaves of the state.

There may also be some common law problems with requiring the ocean regulations. (debatable)

[CJ Wolf]

Ok, I understand your postition, but if I go hunting in West Virginia, do I need a Virgina hunting license if I bring my dead deer back across state lines on the hood of my car?