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Written by Jim Hutchinson, Jr
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Monday, 04 April 2011 16:06 |
Recreational Fishing Alliance (NY)Â
Contact:Â Jim Hutchinson, Jr. / 888-564-6732Â Â For Immediate Release
Â
 NY SALTWATER ANGLERS DO NO NOT NEED A LICENSE TO FISH!
Question Answered As New Budget Immediately Repeals Saltwater Fishing Fee
New York's saltwater anglers are officially off the hook with regard to paying a fee to fish!
  Governor
Andrew Cuomo's new $132.5 billion budget passed before the April 1
deadline immediately repeals the saltwater fishing license and replaces
it with a free registry coordinated through the state Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC). Swapping out a fee-based saltwater
fishing license with a free registry should allow New York to retain its
federal registry exemption, thereby allowing state anglers to avoid
having to pay a $15 federal fee to fish. As part of the Environmental
Conservation budget bill, the registry will be no cost to anglers for at
least the next two years.Â
Â
According to state Senator
Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), an agreement secured through leaders from the
senate, assembly and governor's office last week helped pave the way for
the repeal, which includes a full refund of the lifetime license fee
($150), no reduction to the balance of the Conservation Fund and an
additional $1.9 million in General Fund support for Marine Bureau
operations. Also effective immediately, party and charter boat captains
no longer have to buy a $400 annual saltwater license to cover their
passengers.
Sen. Zeldin, who helped spearhead senate
efforts to repeal the saltwater user fee, also said the DEC's Marine
Bureau will not be responsible for paying for jobs for which it assumed
responsibility in 2009, and added that full compliance with the federal
saltwater fishing registry requirements means New Yorkers will not have
to purchase any separate registrations.
"This is a
piece of legislation that is very important to the needs of my
district," Zeldin told NewsLI.com. "I would like to thank not only my
senate and assembly colleagues who spent hours listening to me and
working with me, but I would also like to thank the thousands of
fishermen, including the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), who
called, wrote, faxed and signed our petition," stated Senator Zeldin.
In
February, Senator Zeldin introduced a bill (S3638) to repeal the
saltwater fishing license fee, and has been working the halls of the
Capitol ever since to bring a broad coalition together to fight for its
repeal. The budget agreement finalized by Governor Cuomo's approved
budget now sets the Conservation Fund balance at $22.2 million as of
today, with a projected balance totaling more than $38 million in the
fund as of April 1, 2012.Â
Similar to the free registry
program being developed in New Jersey, the New York registration will
also collect names and phone numbers of New York state marine anglers to
fulfill the federal requirements for data collection. According Jim
Hutchinson, Jr., RFA managing director and president of the New York
Sportfishing Federation, the state DEC has a couple of mechanisms
already in place which can satisfy the federal registration
requirements.Â
"DEC's Automated Licensing System
(DECALS) is the backbone of the license program and can handle the
registry requirements at a cost of about $2.14 per transaction, while
the Harvest Information Program (HIP) used for identical waterfowl
survey programs can adequately accomplish this same task for just $1 per
user," Hutchinson said citing DEC sources. "The federal registration
requirements should not have been used for a separate funding mechanism
for the bureaucracy, and we're thankful that legislators worked across
the aisle in order to repeal this user fee."Â
Assemblyman
Fred Thiele (I- Sag Harbor), primary sponsor of the Assembly version of
the license repeal bill, called the saltwater fishing "ill-conceived"
from the start. "Not only was it a tax on one of the fundamental rights
that Long Island residents have had since colonial times, but it was a
burden to the recreational fishing industry at a time when the recession
was taking its toll on the local economy," Assemblyman Thiele said.Â
"This action will send a message that the state recognizes that the
right to fish should be free and that recreational fishing is a critical
part of the Long Island economy," he added.Â
While
many public sector representatives opposed the repeal efforts, the vast
majority of private sector anglers and business owners argued against
the license fee since first being implemented back in 2009. While the
fee was relatively low when compared to states like California which
charges fees of $40 to $135 a year for anglers to access marine waters,
representatives of the New York recreational sector argued that new
access fees on Long Islander were simply an open door for future
problems.Â
Â
"It's not just $10, it's another $10 and
that's what's important to remember," said John Mantione, spokesman for
the New York Fishing Tackle Trades Association (NYFTTA). Mantione said
additional fees have helped contribute to overall reduction in angler
effort, which is the worst thing for business owners in a recession as
it leads to lost sales in the business community, which in turn means
less tax revenue for the state. "The repeal of the saltwater tax will
help recover our limited Long Island economy," he added.Â
According
to NYFTTA, an email update from the Division of Fish, Wildlife and
Marine Resources to state license retailers said marine licenses were no
longer necessary as of Thursday. "Customers must register through
DECALS however and we will be adding a registry item to the catalog. It
will take some time before the registry is available via DECALS. There
will be no charge for the registry," the email reported, adding that
refunds will be started soon for customers who purchased a Lifetime
Marine Recreational Fishing License. Meanwhile, Lifetime Combo License
holders will have their Lifetime Combo License exchanged for a Lifetime
Fishing License.
 "I cannot think of a better way to
start the new fishing season off than with this great news," Zeldin
said, adding "it's a bright, sunny day for saltwater fishermen."
Â
Hutchinson
said the RFA wished to officially thank those legislators who helped
move the license repeal efforts, including co-sponsors of the Senate
version of the repeal bill senators Greg Ball (R-Patterson), Kemp Hannon
(R-Westbury), Owen Johnson (R-Babylon), Bill Larkin
(R-Cornwall-on-Hudson), Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), Tom Libous
(R-Binghamton), Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset) and Jack Martins
(R-Mineola). Assembly co-sponsors include James D. Conte (R-Huntington
Station), Michael J. Fitzpatrick (R-St. James), Al Graf (R-Holbrook),
Dan Losquadro (R-Shoreham), Tom McKevitt (R-East Meadow), Michael
Montesano (R-Glen Head), Dean Murray (R-East Patchogue), Andrew P. Raia
(R-East Northport), Joseph S. Saladino (R-Massapequa), Michelle Schimel
(D-Great Neck), and Harvey Weisenberg (D-Long Beach).
"We're
particularly grateful to Environmental Conservation Committee Chairs
Assemblyman Bob Sweeney (D-Lindenhurst) and Senator Mark Grisanti
(R-Buffalo) for their efforts to help support and protect our coastal
resources, while also safeguarding the access rights our coastal
constituents," Hutchinson said, adding "not to mention those dedicated
RFA-NY and New York Sportfishing Federation members who participated in
the lobbying efforts to push this repeal through, it was most certainly a
group effort."
 "It helps of course to have a saltwater
angler living in the governor's mansion, and I think all our anglers owe
Governor Cuomo a debt of gratitude for facing these tough budget
decisions with an eye on our saltwater fishing community," he added.Â
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