Clock ticking on saltwater registry
One minute you're up to your neck in snow and the next up to your knees in the surf, hoping for a bite.We all know how quickly time disappears and it would seem everyone would like to see a resolution of the free saltwater registry issue before the fishing season gets into full swing.
Most of the fishing taking place now is by anglers aboard party boats, who are exempt from the federal registration fee.
However, for those who just want to head to the beach or spend a day fishing from their boat for stripers, the fee is mandatory and has been in effect since Jan. 1
Which means that for New Jersey anglers who don't want to pay the $15, something has to happen.
Recent weeks have seen a lot of discussion in the media, fishing websites and chat rooms — some of it heated — regarding the future of free registry.
The main point of contention, as it usually is, is money. Since there's no such thing as free lunch, how can there be such a thing as a free registry? The money will have to come from somewhere and as of right now, the program would be funded by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection.
Some maintain that New Jersey's anglers have paid enough to enjoy their favorite pastime and shouldn't have to come up with more.
Others say the Division of Fish and Wildlife, which is part of the DEP, will end up paying for the registry and its budget is practically nonexistent as it is. The DEP will have to funnel money from other programs to fund the registry.
"We're of the opinion that the DEP has more than enough money in their bloated budget to fund the Department of Fish and Wildlife," Jim Hutchinson Jr., managing director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance said.
Hutchinson compares the DEP's position to being held for ransom by telling anglers that if you don't come up with he money yourselves, you're not going to be able to fish.
Anthony Mauro, chairman of the New Jersey Outdoor Alliance, has been voicing his concern on the free registry, saying that once the governor signs the bill the funds will come out of the Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and that will be the end of it. He's also worried that even when the bill is signed, it may be some time before it goes into effect because of how it was written.
"The NJOA has been clear with its position," Mauro wrote in a recent news release. "If anglers want a free registry, it's in their best interest to make sure that funding to implement and manage the free saltwater registry doesn't get shifted from monies being used to manage the resources they enjoy.
"If the Governor signs the free saltwater registry, announces a funding source for the free saltwater registry and ensures that New Jersey is quickly exempted from the $15 federal fee — we all win."
In a perfect world, that would be ideal. But those are a lot of ifs and this is the far-from-perfect world of fishery management.
Meanwhile, New Jersey anglers will still have to pay $15 to the federal government.Read More ...
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