The Saltwater Registry is Still Being Pushed By The DEC (DD2)

Three years ago, New York established a free registry for saltwater anglers in an effort to gauge fishing effort in the marine district.  That registry actually came after Governor Andrew Cuomo and state lawmakers repealed a $10 saltwater fishing license, to the displeasure of many freshwater anglers who must buy a license annually one that costs more than $10 in most cases. Since the registry was made voluntary, however, only a fraction of the state’s saltwater anglers have chosen to sign up. Also it prompted the DEC last month to issue a reminder of the mandatory requirement. DEC officials said in a news release the free recreational marine fishing registry is designed to “ensure federal and multi-state regulations are fair to New York’s anglers”. Registration is valid for one full year from the date registered. There is no lifetime marine fishing registration. Anglers found without a registration may be ticketed up to $250 per violation. Several violators of saltwater fishing regulations have also seen additional fines for failure to register. The no fee recreational marine fish registry is a vital tool that helps DEC better manage New York's fisheries. The no-fee registry was established in 2011 in response the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s mandate that all recreational anglers fishing in coastal waters complete a National Saltwater Angler Registry. It was made permanent in 2013. While participation in the free registry is low, it has been slowly improving. DEC spokesperson Lori Severino said that while 125,508 signed up in 2011, that number jumped to 291,363 in 2012 and to 367,682 last year. To date in 2014, 150,862 saltwater anglers have signed up, according to DEC figures last month. Information from New York’s marine registry is incorporated into the National Marine Fisheries Service database of recreational marine anglers. The database helps to efficiently obtain fishing activity information, vital information for setting quotas, size and bag limits, and fishing seasons each year.