Montauk Pioneer - January 16, 2009 -

In an effort to comply with a new federal mandate for all coastal states - which has now been delayed until 2010, though it originally was supposed to take effect this year - the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking to impose a new marine fishing license for recreational saltwater anglers. New York residents would pay $19 for the license, which would need to be renewed annually, while out-of-state visitors would pay $40.

This would help the federal government create a national registry in order to provide more accurate data about what is being caught to officials who are setting catch limits.

Those involved in the Montauk fishing industry are inevitably wary of the government interference and worry about how it might possibly affect their business. "I'm 100% against it," said Henry Uihlein, who owns Uihlein's Marina. "The government has its hand in too many things. If they do this, it's just another drawback or deterrent to go fishing."

And while charter boats, which already pay $250 for an annual fishing license, will be unaffected by this new license because they already document every fish caught onboard, Uihlein is concerned about how it will affect East End visitors who decide at the last minute that they want to surfcast off a beach or fish off a private boat. "I just can't see them doing this to a tourist," he said.

Michael Potts, captain of the charter boat Blue Fin IV, says that in other states such a license isn't a big deal to get. "Other states... make it very easy to get," he said. "You can get on your cell phone at the last minute, you can pay with your credit card, they give you an ID number and if enforcement should check you out, you just give them your name and number. It's done within minutes." The important thing, he adds, is that New York State makes the process for obtaining the license just as easy. "We don't have too much faith in the state that this is going to go that smoothly... Do I think it will slow down people from fishing? It depends on how easy the state makes it. Nobody is supposed to be exempt. The State may have the option of not charging seniors or kids, but everybody has to be registered."

Another valid concern is about where the money collected from the fees for the new license will go, says Carl Darenberg, owner of Montauk Marine Basin. Locals hope that he money collected would go back into marine conservation, but with the state's economic outlook so bleak, it's worrisome that the money might be used elsewhere.

The additional revenue is probably the reason the state stepped up to run the program in the first place, rather than letting the federal government take charge of it, Potts says. "I'd prefer if the federal government ran it," he said. "New York State doesn't have money and it's looking for money. The Feds have the money to do these things through ... If it had been done federally, it would have been cheaper and better run. But the State sees this as a possible money making endeavor because we're short on money."

However, both Potts and Darenberg are ultimately in support of the new license because of the importance of creating an accurate national database of what fish are being caught and where. Often, catch limits and other regulations are based on skewed and inaccurate data.

"The federal intentions are very good," Potts said. "The fishing community has been complaining for a long time that the catch statistics are poor... This could help with more fair regulations."

"There are so many porgies, fluke and bass out there," Darenberg added. "They can say they're not out there, but trust me, there are plenty."