From FishNews (January 22, 2009):
NOAA to Create Saltwater Angler Registry in 2010
NOAA Fisheries Service has released a final rule to create a national saltwater angler registry of all marine recreational fishermen. The improved quality of recreational fishing data achieved through a national registry will help demonstrate the economic value of saltwater recreational fishing, and will provide a more complete picture of how recreational fishing is affecting fish stocks. This kind of information is essential to NOAA’s goal to end overfishing as required under the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The final rule requires anglers and spearfishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters to be included in the national saltwater angler registry by Jan. 1, 2010. NOAA will exempt anglers if they are licensed in states that provide complete information on their saltwater anglers to the national registry. NOAA had originally proposed that registration be required beginning Jan. 1, 2009, but based on public input decided to give states another year to put in place their own data collection systems. The registry is one component of the agency's new Marine Recreational Information Program, an initiative to enhance data collection on recreational catch and effort.
NOAA Fisheries Service has released a final rule to create a national saltwater angler registry of all marine recreational fishermen. The improved quality of recreational fishing data achieved through a national registry will help demonstrate the economic value of saltwater recreational fishing, and will provide a more complete picture of how recreational fishing is affecting fish stocks. This kind of information is essential to NOAA’s goal to end overfishing as required under the Magnuson- Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
The final rule requires anglers and spearfishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters to be included in the national saltwater angler registry by Jan. 1, 2010. NOAA will exempt anglers if they are licensed in states that provide complete information on their saltwater anglers to the national registry. NOAA had originally proposed that registration be required beginning Jan. 1, 2009, but based on public input decided to give states another year to put in place their own data collection systems. The registry is one component of the agency's new Marine Recreational Information Program, an initiative to enhance data collection on recreational catch and effort.
For more information, visit http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov.
