To the Editor:
I would like to extend my gratitude to Sen. David Trahan (R-Waldoboro) for all his hard work during the past year creating and introducing a bill that would have implemented a free saltwater fishing license in Maine.
As of Jan. 1, the U.S. government requires that anyone fishing for anadromous species (such as smelt and striped bass), or any species beyond state waters limits, to register. This federal registry is intended to create a database of salt water sport fishermen that can be used to get a handle on recreational fishing effort and catch: information needed for effective fishery management. The registry is free in 2010, but could cost anglers as much as $15 to $25 annually in 2011 and beyond, with the money going to the U.S. Treasury.
Anglers in states that have their own license programs are exempt from this registry, and any fees charged can stay in those states. This is why Maine has been attempting to create a saltwater license of its own. Many folks, though, including those engaged in coastal tourism, feel that a fee-based license is inappropriate for Maine, especially in these difficult economic times. Sen. Trahan’s bill (LD 1432) would have created a registry to satisfy the federal data collection requirements, yet there would have been no fee imposed on resident or visiting sport fishermen.
Unfortunately, despite a lot of hard work by Sen. Trahan and those who supported his bill, it is now doubtful the free registry will be implemented. Although Maine legislators can’t seem to agree on the details, it appears that a fee-based saltwater license, with the money going to the Dept. of Marine Resources, is more likely. If no state license program is created, however, continuation of the federal registry will be the fall-back position.
Sen. Trahan is to be commended for his efforts in attempting to make the best of a difficult situation in which the U.S. government has placed the state of Maine. His free registry would have had the least impact on those who fish recreationally in our salt waters, but it now appears that anglers will be forced to pay either the state or federal government for the privilege of doing so.
Capt. Barry Gibson, East Boothbay
