always going to be folks that bridle at any licensing or fee. Nonetheless, salt- water licenses are an idea whose implementation is long overdue. How- ever, the monies generated need to be spent on the saltwater fishing environ- ment. If all sportsmen in the Northeast were more assured of this, the licensing would be easier to swallow.
James King Connecticut
Editor. . . Mr. King — Sounds as if we agree on the important points.
The “big rush” to institute a saltwater license in the northeast wasn’t so much a product of hard times as of the collision between northeast
resistance to licensing and the January 2011 imposition of a fee for anglers to reg- ister with the federal government if their state didn’t have a license. I’m in complete agreement with you on
the reciprocity issue. While the laws of all three states that you mention contained reciprocity provisions, those provisions varied pretty widely from state to state. Connecticut’s are good, and recognize the licenses of anglers from both New York and
anglers’ traditional
Rhode Island, even when they leave from Connecticut ports. New York, on the other hand, has very specific provisions. It only recognizes a Connecticut license in “those parts of Long Island Sound lying between New York and Connecticut” and a Rhode Island license in “those parts of Long Island Sound and Block Island Sound lying between New York and Rhode Island.” It would appear that your hypo- thetical angler, fishing Fisher’s Island Sound without a New York license, would be out of luck. CCA New York agrees that is wrong, and still hopes to get that provi- sion changed should the license again go into effect two years from now, as cur- rently provided by law. I’m not familiar with how Connecticut uses license money. However, if they put it in the state’s General Fund, as you state, they are disqualified from receiving federal matching funds from the US Fish & Wildlife Service (the so-called Wallop- Breaux and Pittman-Robertson funds raised by excise taxes placed on fishing tackle, firearms and similar items.) That disqualification, which costs the
state
millions of dollars, is more than enough to deter just about every other state from raiding the license fees cookie jar.
A LEGACY OF CONSERVATION
OIN THE SPECIAL GROUP OF PEOPLE who have made a lifetime commitment to marine resource con- servation, and become a life member of CCA. With your one time $1,000 mem- bership contribution, you will receive this distinctive CCA life member display piece.
J
To create your own legacy of conser- vation and become a life member, contact Robert Taylor, CCA Director of Development, 1.800.201. 3474.
Coastal Conservation Association
6919 Portwest, Suite 100 Houston, Texas 77024
1.800. 201. FISH
www.joincca.org
TIDE
www.joincca.org 49
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