Reduced fee for saltwater fishing license still rubbing anglers the wronge way
Published: Monday, June 28, 2010
By Alexandra Sanders, Register Staff
asanders@nhregister.com
Fishermen are still upset about a bill that Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed almost a year ago mandating for the first time that they purchase a license for saltwater fishing that must be renewed each year.
When the law initially took effect, fishermen around the state were unhappy; but when the $10 fee was raised to $30 in August 2009, some didn’t even bother getting the license.
Joe Tupy, owner of Fishermen’s Paradise in Branford, said he encountered customers who wouldn’t consider paying the cost. In the fall, the fee was rolled back to $10.
“Before they rolled back the fee, it was $50 for a combination license, and I had people turn and walk out after hearing the price,” he said.
Even with the cost rolled back, some fishermen are still disgruntled. Many simply see it as a ploy for the state to get more money.
“I haven’t even put my boat in the water,” said Joe Davis of the Stony Creek section of Branford. “What’s the point if I can’t fish? We are going into a recession and we can’t catch dinner. It’s just more revenue for the state.”
Many fishermen, as well as bait and tackle shop owners, seem to have more of a problem with having to get friends and visitors a license for a short stay.
“If you have guests or friends that you want to take fishing, you can’t just go,” said Peter Kusterer, of Stony Creek. “You want to catch that 5 a.m. tide and you can’t. You have to go to the tackle store and get them a license.”
According to Tupy, it costs $8 for a nonresident to fish for three days, just $2 less than the yearly license for a resident. Fishermen younger than 16 or older than 65 do not have to pay, but those over 65 are still required to get a license and have it renewed every year.
“Being over 65, I wonder why I even have to apply for a license if it’s free,” said Ray Corbett of Guilford. “I don’t think people really take it seriously.”
If fishermen ignore the laws, they are liable to be fined for not having a license, in addition to being fined if they have fish in their boat. Law enforcement officials may also confiscate fishing gear, said Tupy. “They have to ask: Is $10 really worth the risk?”
“Everyone is aware (of the law) so if they aren’t paying for a permit then they aren’t broadcasting it,” said Rod McLennan, of Guilford.
Dennis Schain, Department of Environmental Protection spokesman, said he thinks that generally people have accepted the law.
“The federal government is moving to put a registry in place and people who fish in salt water would have to register,” he said. “Those fees would have been higher than the $10 that we charge.”
The money goes toward the DEP to protect and manage fisheries and maintain the water quality.
Although the saltwater license fee remains at $10, many of the other licenses have doubled, making fishing for certain types of marine life cost prohibitive, some fishermen say.
McLennan is one of the fishermen who didn’t want to pay the cost for some of the other licenses.
“A gill net license is around $100 now,” he said. “I didn’t even bother getting one this year.”
Despite the rising costs, Schain said that 61,916 total saltwater licenses were sold this year, which was a 48 percent increase from the licenses sold in 2009 after the program went into effect. He said that the law was implemented late in the season last year so that could explain why fewer licenses were sold.
One benefit of the license is that Connecticut residents can fish in neighboring states that have reciprocal license laws. This gives fishermen some freedom, but there are some limitations.
“As far as I know, Connecticut fishermen can’t fish in Montauk,” said Tupy. “The reciprocal licenses don’t make sense.”
Another issue that the fishermen addressed was conservation. The state licenses help keep a record of the fish caught in certain areas, but some of the fishermen use a catch and release method instead of searching for dinner.
“We are more conservationist than they are,” said Kusterer. “A lot of us catch and release. ... You shouldn’t even have to get a license for a God-given resource.”
Those that purchased saltwater licenses after the price of the licenses increased felt cheated and wanted their money back.
“Just before opening day, the prices dropped,” said Tupy. “People said ‘what about us?’ and the answer they got was ‘oh well.’ That wasn’t the right answer. They felt like they got screwed by the government.”
But those fishermen will be offered a rebate that will be applied to the renewal of their next license, according to Tupy.
Tupy is not just concerned about the cost of the license for himself and fellow fishermen, but future generations of fishermen as well.
“As a fisherman, I would hope that the monies would go toward a meaningful purpose and would help improve fishing regulations so that people in generations to come all have fish to fish for,” he said. “But Hartford needs to revisit this and rethink this with the economy the way it is.”
Call Alexandra Sanders at (203) 789-5714.
Published: Monday, June 28, 2010
By Alexandra Sanders, Register Staff
asanders@nhregister.com
Fishermen are still upset about a bill that Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed almost a year ago mandating for the first time that they purchase a license for saltwater fishing that must be renewed each year.
When the law initially took effect, fishermen around the state were unhappy; but when the $10 fee was raised to $30 in August 2009, some didn’t even bother getting the license.
Joe Tupy, owner of Fishermen’s Paradise in Branford, said he encountered customers who wouldn’t consider paying the cost. In the fall, the fee was rolled back to $10.
“Before they rolled back the fee, it was $50 for a combination license, and I had people turn and walk out after hearing the price,” he said.
Even with the cost rolled back, some fishermen are still disgruntled. Many simply see it as a ploy for the state to get more money.
“I haven’t even put my boat in the water,” said Joe Davis of the Stony Creek section of Branford. “What’s the point if I can’t fish? We are going into a recession and we can’t catch dinner. It’s just more revenue for the state.”
Many fishermen, as well as bait and tackle shop owners, seem to have more of a problem with having to get friends and visitors a license for a short stay.
“If you have guests or friends that you want to take fishing, you can’t just go,” said Peter Kusterer, of Stony Creek. “You want to catch that 5 a.m. tide and you can’t. You have to go to the tackle store and get them a license.”
According to Tupy, it costs $8 for a nonresident to fish for three days, just $2 less than the yearly license for a resident. Fishermen younger than 16 or older than 65 do not have to pay, but those over 65 are still required to get a license and have it renewed every year.
“Being over 65, I wonder why I even have to apply for a license if it’s free,” said Ray Corbett of Guilford. “I don’t think people really take it seriously.”
If fishermen ignore the laws, they are liable to be fined for not having a license, in addition to being fined if they have fish in their boat. Law enforcement officials may also confiscate fishing gear, said Tupy. “They have to ask: Is $10 really worth the risk?”
“Everyone is aware (of the law) so if they aren’t paying for a permit then they aren’t broadcasting it,” said Rod McLennan, of Guilford.
Dennis Schain, Department of Environmental Protection spokesman, said he thinks that generally people have accepted the law.
“The federal government is moving to put a registry in place and people who fish in salt water would have to register,” he said. “Those fees would have been higher than the $10 that we charge.”
The money goes toward the DEP to protect and manage fisheries and maintain the water quality.
Although the saltwater license fee remains at $10, many of the other licenses have doubled, making fishing for certain types of marine life cost prohibitive, some fishermen say.
McLennan is one of the fishermen who didn’t want to pay the cost for some of the other licenses.
“A gill net license is around $100 now,” he said. “I didn’t even bother getting one this year.”
Despite the rising costs, Schain said that 61,916 total saltwater licenses were sold this year, which was a 48 percent increase from the licenses sold in 2009 after the program went into effect. He said that the law was implemented late in the season last year so that could explain why fewer licenses were sold.
One benefit of the license is that Connecticut residents can fish in neighboring states that have reciprocal license laws. This gives fishermen some freedom, but there are some limitations.
“As far as I know, Connecticut fishermen can’t fish in Montauk,” said Tupy. “The reciprocal licenses don’t make sense.”
Another issue that the fishermen addressed was conservation. The state licenses help keep a record of the fish caught in certain areas, but some of the fishermen use a catch and release method instead of searching for dinner.
“We are more conservationist than they are,” said Kusterer. “A lot of us catch and release. ... You shouldn’t even have to get a license for a God-given resource.”
Those that purchased saltwater licenses after the price of the licenses increased felt cheated and wanted their money back.
“Just before opening day, the prices dropped,” said Tupy. “People said ‘what about us?’ and the answer they got was ‘oh well.’ That wasn’t the right answer. They felt like they got screwed by the government.”
But those fishermen will be offered a rebate that will be applied to the renewal of their next license, according to Tupy.
Tupy is not just concerned about the cost of the license for himself and fellow fishermen, but future generations of fishermen as well.
“As a fisherman, I would hope that the monies would go toward a meaningful purpose and would help improve fishing regulations so that people in generations to come all have fish to fish for,” he said. “But Hartford needs to revisit this and rethink this with the economy the way it is.”
Call Alexandra Sanders at (203) 789-5714.