Saltwater Fishing License Idea Is Back, for Better or Worse

New York State has resurrected the idea of a state saltwater fishing license and, as I’ve said here before, it is an idea long overdue to be embraced by anglers.

The state has a survey up asking anglers for their input — it’s live until this Friday, September 29 — and here is why I think all readers of this column should go and offer support for the proposal.

New York is one of the last states, if not the last state, on the East Coast to not have a recreational saltwater fishing license, and we are throwing away probably millions of dollars in revenue that could go to improving the fishing experiences of all New Yorkers because of it.

If you don’t remember, the state had rolled out a license years ago, and it was the East End that killed it, thanks to lawsuits by the three Town Trustees boards — Southampton, East Hampton and Southold — who said the state had no right to impose such a requirement on local residents because of the colonial-era Dongan Patent. It was a fair stand in principle but short-sighted and a bit nit-picky, since we all have to have state licenses to fish in freshwater. (The Trustees do take issue with that when applied to town ponds, but the matter has never come to a head.)

It’s telling that the state has now come back with the proposal and is asking anglers for their take. I think this is because they probably hear from anglers on a regular basis that they want the state to do more to improve shore-based fishing facilities, boat ramps and other access points, to do more to enforce fishing regulations that we all see violated on a regular basis, and to do more to improve habitat for fish in our waters.

But those things cost a lot of money, and other states tackle them with the revenues they bring in from fishing licenses sold not only to their state residents but, often in larger part, to those coming in from out of state.

The survey has three questions of real importance: Do you support a license in principle? How would you like the money spent? And how much would you pay?

The how much would you pay question is definitely them fishing, so to speak, for a hint that folks would be willing to pay what they pay in other states, which is often $25, $30 or more, sometimes only for a seven-day license. The state has already said that a New York license would start out at $10 or less. I’m not sure I would encourage them to go higher, even though I think it should be higher, because I think it’s inevitable that it will increase once it is established.

The survey is smart in that it lists exactly the things that the money should be spent on as the options and lets fishermen say what they think is most important but also whether they support the others. Improving access, enforcement, habitat improvement, fisheries research, and public outreach and education are the options.

Improving access — building boat ramps for boat owners and modern fishing piers for shore-bound fishermen — should be the top priority, in my mind. Habitat improvement should be second, and enforcement third, I think.

If you have ever spent significant time fishing in Florida, you will quickly notice that boat ramps and fishing piers are everywhere and wonderfully constructed and maintained. And enforcement of the rules is strict and robust — it is rare to spend two or three days at even a sort of out of the way fishing spot and not be visited by an FWC officer at some point.

A license requirement would not, or should not, have any impact on charter and party boat operators, since any of their customers would be covered under a blanket permit issued to the boat. If that costs a few hundred extra dollars a year, okay, that is one more thing on a captains’ shoulders. But if the licensing revenues are used to improve the attractiveness of fishing in New York, it should be a net benefit.

Unfortunately, the state’s online survey is very poorly linked for being shared in a nondigital format. Your best bet for finding it — voting against a license is just as useful as voting for it, so don’t ignore it just because you disagree with me — is to just do an online search for “New York State saltwater license survey,” and you’ll see a link for the survey site.

Fill it out. Make your voice heard. Catch ’em up.

EAST HAMPTON DUCKS UNLIMITED DINNER

The East Hampton chapter of Ducks Unlimited will hold its 40th annual banquet fundraiser next Friday, October 6, at The Clubhouse in Wainscott.

Tickets are still available at ducksunlimited.myeventcenter.com. Tickets are $100 and table sponsor tickets are $350.

There will be raffles – including one for the 2023 DU gun of the year, a Binelli 28 gauge automatic – and an auction of plenty of great DU and wildfowl related art work and gear.

Doors open at 6 p.m.