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Friday, February 26, 2010

National Saltwater Angler Registry

A new federal law requires most saltwater fishermen to sign up with the National Saltwater Angler Registry. Registering is quick, easy, and FREE in 2010.

The National Saltwater Angler Registry is a new tool to help better count fishermen and their catch. Become part of a network of fishermen helping to conserve our oceans and ensure the future of recreational fishing. By registering, you help NOAA make your catch count.

https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/register/home.jsp

Exempt:
1) People who are not residents of the United States or U.S. territories do not need to register. However please make sure to learn about and follow the regulations where you will be fishing. You can contact the state’s department of natural resources or the National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Office for more information.
2) Anglers age 15 and under do not need to register. However please make sure to learn about and follow the regulations where you will be fishing. You can contact the state’ department of natural resources or the National Marine Fisheries Service Regional Office for more information.
3) If you already have a NMFS for-hire permit, you are not required to register your vessel.
4) A saltwater recreational fishing license or registration issued by one of the following states/territories: Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, California, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington

OK people now this is my opinion:

This is a Federal Mandated Law that will cost tax payers millions of dollars for a requirement that CANNOT BE ENFORCED. Just think that everyone that has to register will be receiving an Anger Registration Card, which is water resistant, in the mail. With that how many federal employees are we paying with our tax payer money to run this worthless department. Do you want people randomly calling your house to ask you about how many fish you have caught and where? How many of the recreational fishermen are really going to register their catch? Why are non US citizens exempt from this regulation?

tedh

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

More Government lists to track activities of the citizens.
Wonder why they need thet database?

Anonymous said...

9:44, to track usage of the resource. Talk to any commercial angler in the Bay or ocean. They will tell you that while they get hit with regulations, it's recreational fishermen who often overexploit the resource. Fact is there is alot of fishing pressure out there. I would like to be able to take my future grandson out for a great day of fishing so anything that helps protect the resource is good.

As far as money goes, both commercial and recreational fishing bring in billions to states and feds each year.

Orsonwells said...

A waterproof "Anger Registration Card"! That's a funny typo, Ted!

Anonymous said...

Like many previous license or stamp, free the first year....then increase cost every year after that. The truth is its just another Fed. tax. The recreational fisherman couldnt put a dent in fisheries if they tried.

Anonymous said...

9:54....this TAX dosent protect anything.

Anonymous said...

you missed the point free in 2010 you dont even need to read between the lines here. not free 2011 license fee increase 2012 and so on. we need to just start over

Anonymous said...

My guess is they say Non-US residents are exempt because they have no USA mailing address or USA phone number to register with. In their mind it would cost to much to send mail international and call international so let them be exempt.

I was wanting to see if they collect Social Security #'s during registration, they want that for everything else. For once they don't ask for that.

Anonymous said...

Completely absurb and I don't even fish!

tedh said...

"Anger Registration Card" I have to admit I wish I made that one on purpose.
Anyway to the rest of you the point is there is no way to enforce this. I'm not saying that people won't do it I'm saying most people won't register their catch which makes this whole thing worthless.

Anonymous said...

I have registered and it tells you " next year there will be a $25.00 fee for the same." Obama at work!

Anonymous said...

tedh....what part dont you understand? IT'S A TAX......they {gov.}dont CARE if it makes sense or NOT!

Anonymous said...

I was told by the DNR at the OC boat show this year that this is the last year for free fishing in Maryland. Next year, it will cost everyone to get a permit/license to fish in any water in Maryland. It had been free to fish coastal bays and in the ocean as long as you weren't fishing for game fish. Now, everyone, including those coming for vacation will have to register and , next year, pay??

Anonymous said...

9:54 you sir are a complete idiot! ever hear the saying tis better to remain a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt?
the bycatch (read fish killed and thrown back becasue they either aren't wanted or aren't allowed to keep) from just one commercial fishing boat exceeds what all the tourists who come to maryland to fish in a whole year can possibly catch!
register just tell them you don't have a phone! lol! no law says you got to have a phone! F them!
and they will be charging you in future years! it's already been set up!

Anonymous said...

1:08, cite your facts. I leave it to say that this is an ongoing debate between rec. and commercial fishermen. Also, there is plenty of illegal harvesting that is not reported. Unless you have some concrete evidence to the contrary, again I think non of us can be sure. But the point is that this license is the beginning of being able to estimate this information.

tedh said...

Check this out!!! I just received my email from registering.

Thank you for registering!

You are now one of our 12 million angler partners in the National Saltwater Angler Registry.

You can print out this email to use as proof of registration until the official registration card is delivered.
The official registration card will be waterproof and tear resistant and should be delivered within 30 days of registration to the address entered during registration.

12 MILLION well multiply that times all of the cards they are sending out with postage and the man power to do it. I would say it probably is costing conservatively $1.50 per person X 12,000,000 = $18,000,000. Is this kind of spending wise in this economy? Then there is the salaries of all of the federal employees on top of that.

Anonymous said...

2:00,. educate yourself. I love to fish, I spend thousands every year, and I am lucky if I keep a couple fish during the year. Figure out how much tax revenue is generated by people like myself. Now go to this site and educate yourself! A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/T4890E/T4890E00.HTM#lt

Alverson, D.L.; Freeberg, M.H.; Pope, J.G.; Murawski, S.A.
A global assessment of fisheries bycatch and discards.
FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 339. Rome, FAO. 1994. 233p.

Summary
The authors estimate that between 17.9 and 39.5 million tons (average 27.0 million) of fish are discarded each year in commercial fisheries. These estimates are based on a review of over 800 papers. The highest quantities of discards are from the Northwest Pacific while tropical shrimp trawl fisheries generate a higher proportion of discards than any other fishery type, accounting for one third of the global total.
Of four major gear groups, shrimp trawls stand alone at the top of the list; bottom trawls, long-lines and pot fisheries come next. The third group consists of Japanese high-seas drift net fisheries, Danish seines and purse seines for capelin. Relatively low levels result from pelagic trawls, small pelagic purse seines and some of high seas drift nets. The authors point to inadequate data to determine the biological, ecological, economic and cultural impacts of discards although economic losses run to billions of dollars. However, it appears most likely that socio-cultural attitudes towards marine resources will guide international discard policies.
Techniques to reduce bycatch levels including traditional net selectivity, fishing gear development and time/area restrictions, are discussed. Effort reduction, incentive programmes and individual transferable quotas (that make the vessel responsible for bycatch reduction) are seen as promising avenues for the future. However, quick solutions to the problem are unlikely and much more information is required.
The publication includes a diskette with the complete Bycatch Database, which was compiled for the study, and a summary of it.

Anonymous said...

Beings as though we (yes I am a recreational fisherman) are registering with NOAA this is just another attempt to show cause of global warming. Anyone that does fish knows fish follow the tide and the temp of water.. which is why you can catch the heck out of crappie in an area but go back even a day later and they have moved on.
What ticks me off is I am strictly a catch and release fisherman. So why should I have to pay simply for getting my family out of the house to spend the weekends exploring water ways? That ticks me off and it is just another way to prevent families from spending quality time together!

Anonymous said...

@!%* the government!

Anonymous said...

The reason Marylanders are required to register (why Maryland is on that list, and not Virginia,say)is because Maryland does not have a saltwater license. The Federal government simply wants states allowing saltwater fishing, to enforce the laws on fishing for the migratory species that come and go from federal waters. Once (not if) Maryland establishes a saltwater fishing license, the federal registration will not be required. The federal registration is only required now, if, and only if, you intended to fish for those species that are migratory to and from federal waters. I only registered because I target (and release) shad and herring during the spring run. Everyone wants to complain about needing to register for fishing off O.C. and the inland bays (for free I might add) while I am required to purchase a Chesapeake Bay sportfishing license to fish in the Pocomoke River, migratory species, or not. Personally, I think that if the rest of the state has to pay to fish, the coastal areas shouldn't be exempt. And finally, they won't... I'm all for it!

Anonymous said...

As far as the comment "CANNOT BE ENFORCED", try having a listed species in your creel, and not have that registration in your pocket when the DNR or Coast Guard checks you out. Tell me about the fine that they DON'T(?) give you.

Go ahead, try fishing for the listed species, without the registration. They want you to...

Anonymous said...

9:54 What do you mean by "overexploit"? You can exploit a resouce, but I don't think you can overexploit. It's kind of redundant. You want to "save" some fish for your grandson, why don't you quit fishing now?

Anonymous said...

once again if you are an illegal your exempt what a crook hopefully once it takes affect it will keep some of them of the peirs that would be a plus.

USN (Ret) said...

This is just revenue, read the bill, the fee is going into the general treasury and not for fisheries. All for the Global Warming liars.

https://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov/aboutus/organization/downloads/Saltwater_Angler_Registry_Final_Rule.pdf