Free registry replaces fishing licenses

It's official: Saltwater anglers no longer need a license to fish in New York waters, thanks to a state budget provision that swapped the controversial program out for a free registry.

The changes take effect immediately and will remain in place through Dec. 31, 2013, according to the budget bill passed this week.

Instead of paying $10 for an annual saltwater license, recreational fishermen must register each year with the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The registration runs from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31. DEC spokeswoman Lori Severino said the new registry is not yet up and running. She said the agency would announce when it's ready.

Also effective immediately: Party and charter boat captains no longer have to buy a $400 annual saltwater license to cover their passengers.

The state must refund people who purchased a $150 lifetime recreational marine fishing license by the end of the year, the budget bill said.

The license program was set up in 2009 to satisfy federal reporting requirements intended to improve data on the number of fish anglers catch. The recreational fishing industry opposed the license, saying it would hurt a business already hit hard by harvest restrictions. Advocates and regulators argued the fees would support marine fisheries programs.

New York sold 185,343 licenses in fiscal 2010-11, grossing $2.59 million, according to the DEC.

The suspension of the license will scale back New York's share of federal sportfishing aid, which is awarded based on the number of license holders. The funds, which pay for both fresh and saltwater fishing programs, come from taxes on fishing equipment, motorboats and engine fuel.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has not yet received official notice of the switch. But NOAA's Gordon Colvin said he expected the free registry would continue to satisfy New York's federal reporting requirements.