Article by Marty Gary
Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Sport License
Effective January 1, 2011, anglers 16 years of age or older fishing Maryland’s coastal waters, including its back bays, the Ocean City Inlet and waters of the surf and out 3 miles are required to have a fishing license, with a few exceptions. That simple sentence sums up perhaps the most substantive change for sportfishermen angling the waters around the Ocean City area, ever, with perhaps the possible exception of the hurricane of 1933 which opened the Inlet. The new license applicable to the coast is technically called the Chesapeake and Coastal Sport License. As the name implies, the license covers recreational sportfishing in the tidal waters of Maryland’s Chesapeake and coastal waters.
Maryland has a reciprocal agreement with the State of Virginia and the Potomac River Fisheries Commission, so anglers purchasing Maryland’s Chesapeake and Coastal Sport License can also use this license if they go down to Wachapreague, Chincoteague, Quinby, Cape Charles or in the tidal Potomac River down river from the District of Columbia.
Why a License Now?
A saltwater fishing license requirement has been in effect over on the Chesapeake Bay since 1985. Ocean City has diverse fishery resources, which require monitoring, assessment and the associated funding to accomplish those tasks. Summer flounder is one example of a coastal fish species for which DNR staff must conduct surveys, and collect and analyze data to ultimately develop proposals that become visible to fishermen in the form of season dates, creel limits and minimum sizes. There are significant funding needs to accomplish the required work to survey and manage this and other fishery resources. Previously, funds from Chesapeake Bay license sales were expended on the coast, but arguably not paid for by coastal sportfishermen. There is also the issue of compliance with the federally mandated National Saltwater Angler Registry which went into effect in 2010. The states were given a one year grace period to develop systems which can register their anglers who are 16 years of age or older. Virtually all states are using their existing sportfish license systems to provide compliant data to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). At the time of this writing, only two coastal states do not have saltwater sport fishing licenses. They are New Jersey and Hawaii. Also critically important is the role of fishing licenses and the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Fund, which is commonly known as the Wallop-Breaux Fund. The Wallop-Breaux Fund is divided into two accounts, the Boat Safety Account and the Sport Fish Restoration Account. The Sport Fish Restoration Account is funded by an excise tax on fishing equipment. Overall, Wallop-Breaux monies and fishing license sales revenue account for the majority of funding for state fisheries management and access programs for anglers and boaters. The Wallop-Breaux Fund currently provides approximately $450 million per year to the states for fisheries management and research; fishing and boating access facilities such as docks, piers, and boat ramps; and education and safety programs for anglers and boaters. Monies that accrue into the Wallop-Breaux Sport Fish Restoration account are apportioned to the states based upon their geographic size and population of licensed anglers. Larger states with larger populations of licensed anglers such as California and Texas get larger apportionments. Maryland is geographically small in size, but it is densely populated. As such, it receives minimal status for Wallop Breaux funding, or the smallest allocation. But, Maryland has diverse, accessible and high quality fishing opportunities within close reach of an enormous number of people. That would include Ocean City and all that it offers fishermen. If Maryland were to be able to increase its Wallop Breaux apportionment, there could be significant benefits to fishermen in the form of improved access, outreach and fisheries management. It is possible that an increase in license sales driven by Maryland’s new Chesapeake Bay & Coastal Sport Fishing license could elevate Maryland from minimal apportionment status. Time will tell.
Other Benefits – A Seat at the Table.
Anglers who purchase a fishing license should have a voice in how those funds are utilized. Maryland DNR values input from the fishing community and actively seeks to use the knowledge and experience of the community in its advisory process. DNR’s Coastal Fisheries Advisory Committee (CFAC) meets quarterly at the Ocean City Marlin Club. The CFAC is composed of members of the coastal fishing community, including tackle shop owners, charter captains, sportfishing organization leaders, academic researchers, commercial fishermen and elected officials. Names such as Sue Foster, Captain Monty Hawkins, Captain Bob Gower, Roman Jesien and Bob Abele should be familiar names to the readers of the Coastal Fishermen. The public is encouraged to attend the meetings and provide input, and to reach out to the CFAC members. DNR also has a Sport Fish Advisory Commission (SFAC) which consists of representatives of Maryland’s broader sport fishing community that are appointed by the Governor of Maryland. Val Lynch, a well respected Ocean City angler and member of the Ocean City Marlin Club and Ocean City Light Tackle Anglers Club is an appointed member of the SFAC who can address coastal issues for the SFAC. DNR has a proven track record of working with these advisory groups and the greater sport fishing constituency to address concerns, inquiries and in general, the ongoing fisheries management process. With the new fishing license in place, coastal fishermen not only have a seat and a voice at the table, but they are actively investing in the process that funds the fishery management process.
The Coastal License – What Are My Options?
Now that we’ve talked about the background of the recreational sport fish license, what are the options for residents and visitors to Ocean City? The Chesapeake and Coastal Sport license has several options. For short term vacationers, there is a 7-day license available for $6.00 for Maryland residents and $12.00 for non residents. For more frequent anglers, an annual license for a Maryland resident is $15.00 and $22.50 for a non resident. If you have a boat, you might consider purchasing a decal you affix to your boat that covers everyone on the boat for their license requirements. The cost for the boat decal is $50.00 for residents and non-residents alike. Finally, Maryland residents who are 65 or older can purchase a Senior Consolidated License for $5. That is a comprehensive license that covers fishing license requirements anywhere in Maryland waters, including trout or crabbing on the Chesapeake Bay.
The requirement for fishing licenses is waived on three specially designated free fishing days we have each year in Maryland. The free fishing days are the first two Saturdays in June and July 4th.
There is no license requirement to recreationally crab in Maryland’s coastal bays. Please note that waterfront property owners and their guests do not need a fishing license, and you don’t need a license if you are fishing on a licensed charter boat or a licensed commercial fishing pier like the Oceanic Pier near the inlet. That is the condensed version of new license requirements, but we should not forget the National Saltwater Angler Registry.
The National Saltwater Angler Registry.
On January 1st, 2010, NOAA implemented the National Saltwater Angler Registry. This is essentially a phonebook of saltwater anglers in the United States. We’ll talk more about the reasons for the Registry in the future, but for now, it would be helpful to clear up the confusion swirling around what is needed for this year. The bottom line is that if you have purchased a saltwater fishing license, you will be automatically registered with NOAA. The fishermen that do need to register are those passengers fishing aboard a boat with the pleasure boat decal or waterfront property owners, their family and guests. And anyone with a Virginia saltwater license (remember we have a reciprocal agreement with Virginia) also needs to register. So how do you register?
All you need to do is go to the FREE registry on the Maryland DNR web site:
http://dnr.maryland.gov/swregistry.asp
Do NOT go to the NOAA registry. They will charge $15.
Where do I buy my license?
Maryland Fishing licenses can be bought over the phone: 1-800-918-2870, or online:
www4.wildlifelicense.com/md/. Licenses may also be purchased from an authorized agent. Many of you are aware that our new licensing system called COMPASS is currently delayed, and that the only agents that sell Maryland fishing licenses are those that have machines from the original system. At this moment, that means the Walmart in Berlin (Rt. 50 next to the Home Depot) is the only agent you can purchase from. No additional machines running on the old system are available, so we’ve discussed alternative ideas to come up with a solution until COMPASS launches. After last week’s meeting with the Coastal Fisheries Advisory Committee and discussing the challenges facing the local bait and tackle stores, a decision has been made to allow a paper based license to be issued by the local tackle stores that are currently unable to sell licenses in the current system. DNR has scheduled a training session with all those interested in becoming an agent to sell Maryland fishing licenses. That meeting will happen within the next two weeks. We expect to have the paper licenses in the shops and ready for purchase as quickly as possible after the training for the new agents occurs. If anyone is interested in becoming an agent to sell fishing licenses, please contact Tina Hurley from our Salisbury Regional Licensing Service Center. Tina may be reached by phone: 410-713-3842 or by e mail: [email protected].
The licensing and National Saltwater Angler Registry issues are complex. If you have any questions, please contact me.
Martin L. Gary
Assistant Director
Fisheries Ecologist
MD DNR Fisheries Service
580 Taylor Avenue
Floor B-2
Annapolis, MD 21401
410-260-8289 (office)
410-279-0459 (cell)
410-260-8279 (fax)
Or you can email me at:
[email protected]
Marty Gary is Assistant Director/Fisheries Ecologist at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Service.
