Sustaining New Hampshire's Fish and Wildlife Legacy

Investing in Marine Fisheries:
Why N.H. is proposing a saltwater license
By N.H. Fish and Game Executive Director Lee Perry

Last summer I wrote about pending changes in marine fisheries management and federal legislation requiring a recreational saltwater angler registry. After receiving several emails and letters, I want to provide some additional information about the work the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is doing to develop and maintain both recreational and commercial marine fisheries. Hearing about this work - and the federal angler registry requirements we soon will have to meet -- may give you a better understanding of why Fish and Game is proposing a saltwater license for recreational anglers to help fund the work of managing our marine fisheries.

First, let me tell you about the federal requirement we're facing. Numerous conservation groups are engaged in efforts to ensure that fisheries management agencies have the tools they need to prevent over-fishing and rebuild fish stocks. One critical need is a means of determining the number of saltwater anglers in each state and federal waters and improving the accuracy and precision of reporting on the species and numbers of fish caught by recreational anglers.

Nationally, recreational fishing organizations and the fishing industry supported, and Congress recently passed, legislation reauthorizing the Magnuson-Stevens Conservation and Management Act - a law that requires some type of recreational angler registration. If New Hampshire had an adequate state saltwater angler registration system in place, a federal permit would not be required for New Hampshire anglers. Most people I've talked to would prefer to have their dollars go for a state license rather than a federal permit.

Many states already require saltwater fishing licenses. Fourteen of 23 coastal states have established licensing systems. All the coastal states on the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of Mexico have a saltwater license, as do the Atlantic coast states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. Maryland requires a license to fish in Chesapeake Bay.

Revenues from license sales pay for marine resource management and enforcement programs in these states. In New Hampshire, the sale of existing marine licenses doesn't raise anywhere near enough money to pay for the work we do to protect the marine environment and restore and manage marine species. That means monies raised through the sale of hunting and freshwater fishing licenses (and appropriated for marine fisheries work) subsidize the Marine Division.

Fish and Game has a Marine Division because we are legally responsible for the management of marine resources. In 1965, the Legislature recognized the importance of these resources by establishing a separate Division of Marine Fisheries within the Department. Marine Division staff are responsible for researching and monitoring marine resources, regulating and promoting commercial and recreational fishing, and overseeing a highly successful program to protect Great Bay.

Working with other state agencies in New Hampshire; federal agencies, such as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Fish & Wildlife Service; other states' marine resource departments; conservation groups like the Coastal Conservation Association, The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited; and local communities and businesses, Fish and Game has done much to benefit marine fisheries.

While the Department receives federal grants for some marine work, most grants require us to provide matching state funds in order to receive them. In some cases, we've been able to use volunteer time and donations to match these funds, but these sources fall short of fully funding our obligations. Without adequate funding, our ability to rebuild fish populations and protect the marine environment will be at risk.

A great deal of important marine conservation work has been done, but much work remains. Knowledge and funding are critical to proper resource management, especially in the rapidly changing marine environment. This work has many benefits -- sustaining fish populations improves recreational and commercial fisheries, which in turn support local businesses and the state's economy. A recreational saltwater fishing license will provide information and financial support that are essential to the future success of our marine resource conservation program. I think it's an investment worth making.

This story was published in Hawkeye Hunting & Fishing News, February 2007

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