Salt water fishing license? Would you pay?

[Chrisper4694]

In last weeks episode, Peter Clarke, from njfw returned and we started talking about ways to fund the artificial reef program and the idea of a pay for saltwater license came up...

My gut reaction was to say hell no, but if there was some way to assure 100% of the license sales went back into our marune fisheries, i could consider playing ball; do you feel the same way?

Im the last person to trust "the government", but i could trust good people like Peter working there, so i feel like there is some path to this working.

Also, i look at how great places like florida are where you need to purchase a license to fish the saltwater and the use the money to build and maintain the marine environment, fishing access points, etc.

We think nothing of buying freshwater licenses every year because the stocking program is top notch so i think i can be sold on a saltwater license if it meant a better saltwater fiahing experience...

Link to the youtube episode below (also available on spotify):

https://youtu.be/O6wQQRcShLQ?si=Hikphb4v44aWUPOC

[AndyS]

I would buy a saltwater fishing license even if it only got me game wardens stopping people from filling up their pickup trucks with short striped bass on Raritan bay.
Why do 19 states have a saltwater fishing license and only 2 have a saltwater registry, something definitely fishy here.

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by AndyS

I would buy a saltwater fishing license even if it only got me game wardens stopping people from filling up their pickup trucks with short striped bass on Raritan bay.
Why do 19 states have a saltwater fishing license and only 2 have a saltwater registry, something definitely fishy here.

Two states with notoriously corrupt governments even more so than most others? Idk

[dales529]

IMHO: The reason NJ has a FREE SW Registry is because thats what anglers preferred and the reason for that is there was /is no provisions for SWL fees to go back into NJ SW fishing, added game wardens, launches or public access.
Most would pay a SWL with any comfort level that the funds would end up benefitting the resource but unless someone can tell me different that's not the case.

Take for instance NJ Shellfish Licenses Fees ( Andy I know you asked this before) and I still can not provide accurate details but research and phone calls led to this:
Shellfish Licenses Fees are managed by NJDEP and NJFW then to the Bureau of Marine Habitat & Shellfisheries and Bureau of Marine Fisheries which make up the Marine Resources Administration. Try to follow that money trail LOL. I could NOT

Point being how much of your License Fee do you actually feel goes back to the resource?? And this is a managed License fee. Now imagine the Bureau's that would be created to manage a NJ State SWL

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by dales529

IMHO: The reason NJ has a FREE SW Registry is because thats what anglers preferred and the reason for that is there was /is no provisions for SWL fees to go back into NJ SW fishing, added game wardens, launches or public access.
Most would pay a SWL with any comfort level that the funds would end up benefitting the resource but unless someone can tell me different that's not the case.

Take for instance NJ Shellfish Licenses Fees ( Andy I know you asked this before) and I still can not provide accurate details but research and phone calls led to this:
Shellfish Licenses Fees are managed by NJDEP and NJFW then to the Bureau of Marine Habitat & Shellfisheries and Bureau of Marine Fisheries which make up the Marine Resources Administration. Try to follow that money trail LOL. I could NOT

Point being how much of your License Fee do you actually feel goes back to the resource?? And this is a managed License fee. Now imagine the Bureau's that would be created to manage a NJ State SWL

Agreed! NY had one briefly and fishermen pushed back and had it dropped.
But could you imagine the Bureau? It would be the most fantastic and beautiful one you’ll ever see

[bulletbob]

any reason why my reply was deleted?... It was a perfectly valid opinion as to where the SW license fees might very well wind up in NJ as well as NY... bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

I don’t support a license for several reasons and it’s not about having to spend $x on a license.
- I don’t think it would increase access it would decrease it. You and your family are down at the beach or the bay for the day or on vacation and you think to yourself, let’s go fishing but you don’t have license. Probably means you’re not going to fish part of that maybe money, inconvenience or both and that would be a shame.
- I hear the money will be used for free ramps, yeah where? Most every piece of convenient land on the water in NJ is owned privately or by a municipality.. We do have some land owned by the state in Leonardo and in Atlantic City but you pay to launch.
- Since we’re taxed to death already, our state has enough money to do practically what ever it wants to since the state budget is now $56 Billion. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of priorities.
- Some say we’re missing out on federal funding since we don’t have a license and others say it wouldn’t make a difference. I’d like to see proof one way or the other.
- I’d love to see more funding for the reef program but I don’t trust that the money from the license will be spent the way we want it , it will be spent the way they want it and you can guarantee they’ll be a lot of waste and mismanagement of the funds, this is NJ people. If we want money for the reef let’s raise money for it so we’re sure that’s where it gets used. Let’s also get our state to make it and other things we need a priority. It’s our money, not theirs!

[Chrisper4694]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I don’t support a license for several reasons and it’s not about having to spend $x on a license.
- I don’t think it would increase access it would decrease it. You and your family are down at the beach or the bay for the day or on vacation and you think to yourself, let’s go fishing but you don’t have license. Probably means you’re not going to fish part of that maybe money, inconvenience or both and that would be a shame.
- I hear the money will be used for free ramps, yeah where? Most every piece of convenient land on the water in NJ is owned privately or by a municipality.. We do have some land owned by the state in Leonardo and in Atlantic City but you pay to launch.
- Since we’re taxed to death already, our state has enough money to do practically what ever it wants to since the state budget is now $56 Billion. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of priorities.
- Some say we’re missing out on federal funding since we don’t have a license and others say it wouldn’t make a difference. I’d like to see proof one way or the other.
- I’d love to see more funding for the reef program but I don’t trust that the money from the license will be spent the way we want it , it will be spent the way they want it and you can guarantee they’ll be a lot of waste and mismanagement of the funds, this is NJ people. If we want money for the reef let’s raise money for it so we’re sure that’s where it gets used. Let’s also get our state to make it and other things we need a priority. It’s our money, not theirs!

Im with you not trusting the process but the best example is florida.... how does florida do it and its very successful based on how plentiful and well kept the access and marine environments are.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Originally Posted by Chrisper4694

Im with you not trusting the process but the best example is florida.... how does florida do it and its very successful based on how plentiful and well kept the access and marine environments are.

I can assure you it's not because they have a salt water fishing license, it's because they care about fish and game a made it a funding priority in their budget. The FL SW license revenue was $7.2M in 2023

Florida spends $102M on fish and wildlife and has a total state budget of $116B.

NJ spends $15M on Fish and Wildlife and we have a $56B total state budget

The total state FL budget is a factor of almost 2X the size of ours but they outspend us in fish and game by a factor of 7X.

This is why I think the SW license is not the issue, the issue is SW fishing is not budget priority in our states government and politics.

Speaking of not being a priority, we have 2 vacant NJ marine (saltwater) council positions that it's the governors job to fill and his administration has neglected to do so in spite of being in office almost 7 years now.

I'll be the first to say we have more then our fair share of important issues here in our state but don't you think the $2B of revenue that salt water generates for our state each year deserves a bit more attention and priority?

Maybe we need to wait until the 2025 election and hope there are some changes in priorities

[hammer4reel]

Originally Posted by Gerry Zagorski

I don’t support a license for several reasons and it’s not about having to spend $x on a license.
- I don’t think it would increase access it would decrease it. You and your family are down at the beach or the bay for the day or on vacation and you think to yourself, let’s go fishing but you don’t have license. Probably means you’re not going to fish part of that maybe money, inconvenience or both and that would be a shame.
- I hear the money will be used for free ramps, yeah where? Most every piece of convenient land on the water in NJ is owned privately or by a municipality.. We do have some land owned by the state in Leonardo and in Atlantic City but you pay to launch.
- Since we’re taxed to death already, our state has enough money to do practically what ever it wants to since the state budget is now $56 Billion. It’s not a matter of money, it’s a matter of priorities.
- Some say we’re missing out on federal funding since we don’t have a license and others say it wouldn’t make a difference. I’d like to see proof one way or the other.
- I’d love to see more funding for the reef program but I don’t trust that the money from the license will be spent the way we want it , it will be spent the way they want it and you can guarantee they’ll be a lot of waste and mismanagement of the funds, this is NJ people. If we want money for the reef let’s raise money for it so we’re sure that’s where it gets used. Let’s also get our state to make it and other things we need a priority. It’s our money, not theirs!

This topic has been beaten to death , and a lot of inaccurate info continues .
While license fees go into the general fund , having a SW license allows the state to apply to get funds we ALREADY paid back in excise tax’s .
Those funds can Only be used for SW improvement and ACCESS.
Accesss being the number one priority.

Broad Bill had posted we already get out excise portion back .
Talking to Peter that’s absolutely incorrect .


The rules are very specific that money sent back is based on actual license sales .
Other states such as Florida go after every penny they can , and it’s why they have free ramps etc all over .

Funds brought in from excise tax’s on freshwater tackle have been used to provide river access points in many very affluent areas .
State used the funds to purchase land , and made permanent access to great rivers throughout the state .

There is always something that can be purchased .
Or muniple spots like AH those funds can pay the daily fee so it’s free to launch .
Those crying about paying for a license end up spending way more paying launch fees all over the state yearly .


Reason we don’t have a license is FG marine division was told they would get no additional money for extra CO to enforce the license .
So the declined.

Anyone thinking fisherman voicing their opinions stopped the license are just kidding themselves .

NJ could care less about any funds benefitting hunters and fisherman in this state .
Because they can’t TAP that money for other interests .

.