This Sunday I read an article in the SUNDAY MONITOR (Concord, NH) that implied that on January 1 2009 it will be necessary to have asaltwater license? Is this true only in NH or have other New England/mid-Atlantic states started this as well??
Any information would be helpful as I have a couple of favorite spots in the region but they are in 4 different states!!!
Thanks fo rany information you might have
Florida and South Carolina already have saltwater licences in place and have for several years. It would be nice if we could get one saltwater licence for the whole USA. 8T 
North Carolina had one in place last year.–Saltwater
Heard talk but no decision about Massachusetts.
jed
Maine is considering one also, but so far not yet
The federal government wants to register all marine fishermen by 2011 for fisheries management purposes
Of course there will be a fee …starting in 2013
In order for the states to retain this fee monies, states that have no salt water license program must implement one
New Hampshire is taking the lead.
There’s a good chance that marine licenses in many northeast states will be reciprocal
Thats kinda important where I fish as you may be in Connecticut, New York, or Rhode Island waters all within a couple miles and not know the difference
Edit:
got my years wrong
It all happens in January '09
Fees begin in 2011
Delaware now has a SW license as of this year.Other states will follow in time.
They had better be careful if that is true. Federal registration of individuals (private citizens) is against Federal law no matter what the reason (also can be considered an invasion of privacy and a breach of States Rights). Several Federal agencies (ATF was one of them) have already made this mistake in the past by trying to register individuals and were forced (ordered) by Federal courts to destroy any such records to stop such registrations.
md has discussed it, best option they have to to make thier chesapeake bay license a general saltwater one.
its the coming trend, and doesnt bother me in the least.
almost forgot, va has one also, but on federal property, assateague isalnd national seashore, one is not needed, go figure that out
Title of Law:Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006
Law #: Public Law 109-479
Passed by Congress:109th Congress (2nd Session)
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SEC. 201. RECREATIONAL FISHERIES INFORMATION.
Section 401 (16 U.S.C. 1881) is amended by striking subsection (g) and inserting the following:
?(g) RECREATIONAL FISHERIES.?
?(1) FEDERAL PROGRAM.?The Secretary shall establish and implement a regionally based registry program for recreational fishermen in each of the 8 fishery management regions. The program, which shall not require a fee before January 1, 2011, shall provide for?
?(A) the registration (including identification and contact information) of individuals who engage in recreational fishing?
?(i) in the Exclusive Economic Zone;
?(ii) for anadromous species; or
?(iii) for Continental Shelf fishery resources beyond the Exclusive Economic Zone; and
?(B) if appropriate, the registration (including the ownership, operator, and identification of the vessel) of vessels used in such fishing.
?(2) STATE PROGRAMS.?The Secretary shall exempt from registration under the program recreational fishermen and charter fishing vessels licensed, permitted, or registered under the laws of a State if the Secretary determines that information from the State program is suitable for the Secretary?s use or is used to assist in completing marine recreational fisheries statistical surveys, or evaluating the effects of proposed conservation and management measures for marine recreational fisheries.
Saltwater fishing license is past due - Norwich, CT - Norwich Bulletin
Money Quote:
If Connecticut and the other states are not in compliance with what the Magnesun Act dictates and they don’t have their own marine recreational data gathering systems in place by 2011, marine recreational fishermen will not only be registering and sending information to the feds, but they will be paying a “registration fee” to the federal government, rather than their own states. (This fee will be similar in nature to the tuna licenses off shore anglers must buy from the feds.)
Dudley;
I’m asking a question. If someone from midwest was here on vaca and wanted to charter a boat, would they have to have license?
?(1) FEDERAL PROGRAM.?The Secretary shall establish and implement a regionally based registry program for recreational fishermen in each of the 8 fishery management regions.
Ah. For Federal fishery management regions. Not a national registry. That explains it then.
No, the guide has the license and would do the reporting. rel1
Frankly I am amazed that New England states don’t have saltwater licenses. I have held dual fresh/salt licenses in Texas, Louisiana and Florida for decades. I thought that was just the way it was.