NMFS Seeks Angler Registry Comment
(6/18/2008) The National Marine Fisheries Service is seeking public comment on its intention to require recreational anglers, including spearfishermen, who fish in federal waters (beyond three miles from shore) to register with the agency before the start of the 2009 season.
The requirement would also apply to anglers who target anadromous (river-ascending) species such as striped bass, salmon, and shad in state waters, or within three miles from shore. The plan is seen as a strong incentive for states to adopt their own registry.
The federal license would be required of anglers who live in states without registries of their own. The purpose is to create a system that generates more accurate landing information than the telephone survey used until now. The registry aims to measure the economic benefits of sport fisheries in addition to collecting catch data essential for determining quotas.
Anglers would have to register each year. There would be no cost for the first two years, but starting in 2011 licenses would cost between $15 and $25 per year, it has been estimated.
The proposed rule is open for public comment until Aug. 11. Comments 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 at
www.regulations.gov.
or
www.countmyfish.noaa. gov
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Russell Drumm
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