NY has been toying with the idea of saltwater licenses for quite some time now. I don't think it would be a bad thing, as long as they don't go too expensive with the fee.

A little bit of money from every fisherman can go a long way to providing funds for conservation. Saltwater fisheries have taken a hit during the past few decades, and there are some species rebounding well, but others aren't. There is such a large amount of saltwater around our coastlines that it would take many biologists and technicians to monitor the fish populations. If having healthy fisheries means spending a little more money, then so be it!

Around here, I do not buy any arguments that fishing or hunting will become a sport for the rich any time soon. Sure, there is a lot of expensive gear out there that is for the rich (there is still plenty of inexpensive but good quality gear), but my NY license is good for a whole year, and includes fishing, small game, big game, muzzleloading, and turkey costs me about as much as a quality fly line. Add on a fee for Saltwater, and it will still likely be the price of a high quality flyline.

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[This message has been edited by Spud (edited 06 March 2006).]