Dear Fellow Outdoor Enthusiasts,

The following letter will be sent to the Joint Committe on Marine Resources on your behalf when you fill out the form below:

 To: All members of the Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resources

Senator Dave Trahan and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine have teamed up to resolve the long-standing battle over creation of a saltwater fishing license. SAM led the successful fight two years ago to defeat the proposal but it is back with a vengeance this session backed by the Baldacci Administration.

Although the people in this region have been able to catch saltwater fish for four hundred years without paying a fee for a permit or license, Congress threatened this privilege when it re-enacted the Magnusson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act at 2 am on the last day of the 108th U.S. Congress. After discussing the issue with federal officials, Senator Trahan discovered that they are not planning to charge a fee because they have no way to collect the money, and he was directed to check out states that have established the registry of saltwater anglers without charging a fee.

I support the proposal Senator Trahan has put forward that would create the registry in Maine without a fee. His proposal is simple and effective. When anglers purchase their fishing licenses from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, they will be asked to check a box if they fish in saltwater. Saltwater anglers who do not purchase a fishing license from DIF&W would be able to register on-line for free.

Many suggestions have been offered to encourage these non-licensed anglers to register, including on-line raffle prizes and a requirement that guides use the on-line register for all of their saltwater angling customers. State and federal officials can use the registry to conduct annual surveys – the whole purpose of the original registration requirement. Reliable information about saltwater fishing can be obtained using our system without the burden of an expensive license.

I respectfully ask you to oppose the saltwater license and support Senator Trahan’s saltwater registry bill instead.

Sincerely,

Fields marked (*) are required

Email From:*

Name:*

Address:*

Telephone:
This email form is made possible by a joint effort between


and


Please take the time to call Committee members as well. You can find their contact info here:

Joint Standing Committee on Marine Resource

Legislative Council Members for the 124th Legislature