FREE FISHING REGISTRY LEGISLATION LEAVES COMMITTEE
A823 EXPECTED TO GET FULL NJ ASSEMBLY VOTE IN 2010
March 9, 2010 - The New Jersey Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved Assembly Bill 823 on Monday to create a free saltwater registry in New Jersey. If passed by the full Assembly, the law would mean that coastal anglers in New Jersey would not have to file with a federal registry next year and would also be exempt from having to pay a federal fee starting in 2011.

Primary sponsors including Assemblymen Nelson Albano and Matt Milam, (D-District 1), along with John Amodeo (R-District 2) and Celeste Riley (D-District 3) all agreed with testimony given by proponents of the free registry legislation that the plan to create a simple state database now would be better than forcing state residents to participate with the federal registry. A823 now goes to the full Assembly for a vote, and also carries the support of co-sponsors including committee member Gilbert "Whip" Wilson (D-District 5), as well as Scott T. Rumana (R-District 40)

The bill matches identical Senate bill (S1122) introduced last month by Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-1) and would allow the state to set up its own database of saltwater anglers without charging fishermen any license fee. Successful passage of both versions of the free registry bill with the governor's signature would exempt all recreational anglers who fish in New Jersey coastal waters from having to pay NOAA to put their name, contact information and fishing habits on file.

As mandated by the Magnuson Stevens Act, federal surveyors who keep track of recreational fish harvest will be required to use the saltwater angler registry to contact fishermen about their fishing habits. As of 2010, those fishing in New Jersey coastal waters are required to register with the federal government in an effort to improve data collection (visit www.countmyfish.noaa.gov for details). As of 2011 NOAA has said they may begin charging anglers up to $25 apiece to register online with the federal system, unless states come up with their own system of gathering angler information.

Chairman Albano opened Monday's hearing by introducing Sen. Van Drew, who told the committee that having a better list of fishermen would improve the way fish stocks were counted. Sen. Van Drew explained that NOAA surveyors currently make random phone calls using coastal phonebooks in order to gather recreational harvest data, "cold calling," as the senator put it. "It's obviously not the most efficient way to go about this," Sen. Van Drew said about the current methods of data collection, adding "so it does make sense to have a good fishing registry."

Sen. Van Drew noted that by incorporating a free registry program to help keep the contact information of saltwater anglers, he expected New Jersey to maintain a tourism advantage, allowing people to fish off New Jersey for free while other nearby coastal states move to a fee-based license program. "Our tourism budget has been cut," said Van Drew, adding "The reality is every state around us advertises more for tourism."

"One of the things that we can say is, 'You know what, in New Jersey, when you're with your kids, you can throw your line in the water, and no one's going to come by and say, 'put some money in my hand,'" Van Drew added.

On hand to testify in favor of A823 yesterday were several members of the Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA), including RFA-NJ chairman Capt. Adam Nowalsky. "Again, what the government has mandated is a registry, specifically as Sen. Van Drew noted for the purposes of creating a phonebook to be able to have a list of anglers that they can go back to," Nowalsky said.

The statewide bill's primary opposition in committee came from Tom McCloy, administrator for the state's Bureau of Marine Fisheries, who said that if the state sets up its own registry without charging at least a nominal fee to fund its operation, the cost would ultimately come from the Department of Environmental Protection's budget. McCloy estimated that cost at as much as $2 million annually. McCloy said his estimates were based on an existing contract between the bureau and a third-party vendor that processes hunting and fishing licenses in the state and charges $1.01 per application. That point prompted committee Vice Chair Celeste Riley to ask whether the bureau could design their own simple website to allow fishermen sign-up online.

"I don't understand why we can't develop some simple, visual basic program that does data collection," added Riley, referencing simple "print screen" functionality for anglers to print out their required proof of registration. "That would be simple enough for what we need," she later told the Atlantic City Press.

McCloy responded that this is essentially how the current program works, but explained "for the privilege of doing that, again by the current contract, the vendor gets $1.01 for every one of those transactions." McCloy did say he would investigate whether thaor not his department could be exempted from the vendor's charge.

"Why isn't this something that can be done in-house without a vendor attached," asked Chairman Albano, who questioned why the Division couldn't offer "a quick online registry for someone where this data is stored and then forwarded over to the federal government." McCloy added that this was something that was "out of his area of expertise," though he noted he'd investigate if a free registry could be done outside of the current third-party licensing contract.

The RFA noted that the issue of creating a federally mandated saltwater registry in the state of New Jersey has been co-opted by advocates of a saltwater license, which is purely a funding debate for the state. "What has happened is people have seen the issue with regard to funding here in the state of New Jersey specifically with fisheries and the two issues are being mixed together, people saw this as a perfect opportunity to become advocates for a license," Nowalsky told the committee.

Van Drew reminded committee members that the legislation for a saltwater registry was meant to meet the federal mandate and was not a source for funding. "It doesn't require that you have a fee, it doesn't require that you have a great deal of information pertaining to it other than that you have a list of individuals that are fishing," Sen. Van Drew said, adding "That's why last year Assemblyman Albano, Assemblyman Milam and myself, along with the support of the RFA and many other fishing groups established a fishing registry in the state of New Jersey that wouldn't have a fee attached to it."

Assemblyman Amodeo described the question of who will pay for the registry's operation as a "tough call," particularly in light of the state's current budget problems, while adding "But I think we have to come together and really make this work so that the people and the tourism industry and the dad that wants to take his son fishing will be able to do it without having to be involved with any type of fee."

To learn more about the RFA-NJ chapter and to get involved in NJ saltwater fishing issues, visit www.rfanj.org

STRATHMERE FISHING CLUB TO HOST FISHERIES FORUM
Monthly Meeting This Saturday To Feature Special Guests
The Strathmere Fishing Club will hold a special annual legislative and regulatory update meeting this Saturday, March 13 starting at 4 p.m. at the Strathmere firehouse. The forum will feature special guests including Congressman Frank LoBiondo, state Senator Jeff Van Drew, Assemblyman Nelson Albano (chairman of Assembly Agriculture and Natural Resources Commitee), Assemblyman Matt Milam, along with RFA-NJ chapter representatives Capt. Adam Nowalsky, Capt. Tony Bogan and Ed Goldman. There will be open discussion on the status of the free registry legislation in New Jersey, along with federal and state updates from both the RFA and the Save the Summer Flounder Fishery Fund on the results from the February 24th fishermen's rally in Washington DC.

For more information, visit www.strathmerefishing.org