03-17-2012, 11:11 AM
This Sunday, the Poughkeepsie Journal (www.poughkeepsiejournal.com) will feature a story about New York's saltwater registry program and the mandatory requirement that all anglers first register at no cost, prior to fishing in the marine and coastal district.
One of the topics that environmental coordinator/reporter John Ferro will no doubt spotlight is the fact that New York's 'free' angler registry will actually sunset at the end of 2012, meaning that it could cost you money to fish in New York saltwater again as of January 1, 2013.
Unless anglers get involved right now!
The New York Senate officially released their 2013 budget plan this week which would continue the suspension of the angler fee for at least another two years. The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and New York Sportfishing Federation (NYSF) are hoping to see legislation moved forward in the coming months which would permanently repeal the fee to fish once and for all, but today it's up to the anglers to help see the commitment to free fishing carried over again in the 2013 budget.
"We have been following this issue very carefully in the last few months, and we remain encouraged by Governor Cuomo's own personally expressed belief that saltwater fishing should be free," said Jim Hutchinson, RFA's managing director and NYSF president.
"What we have to do right now is ask the New York Assembly to ensure that their budget version reflects the Governor's wishes that there be no fee to fish in marine coastal waters, and that means reconciling their budget with what's presently written into the Senate's version," Hutchinson said.
At a press conference at the Freeport Boatmen's Association on Long Island last August announcing the official suspension of the saltwater fishing license, Governor Cuomo said "there are still some things in life that are free," explaining how saltwater fishing was one of them.
"The federal government required that we help manage a wide variety of species in coastal waters, but it was unfair to ask New Yorkers to pay for it," Governor Cuomo added.
"All the fishing charters, all the bait stores, all the equipment, all the rentals all the boat salesmen, there's an entire industry, especially on Long Island, that's very vibrant," Cuomo told the audience assembled in Freeport, adding "when you charge a tax, a fee, just for someone to get a fishing license you actually retard that industry, you slow the growth in that industry, and that winds up costing you more money than the $10 you were charging in the first place."
"As a saltwater angler himself, Governor Cuomo made a very strong statement that day that he's committed to solving the financial problems in New York without simply implementing new taxes," Hutchinson added. "Governor Cuomo helped close a $10 billion budget deficit in 2011 without taxing our saltwater anglers, and I'm hoping that the New York Assembly can help carry over that tradition into 2013 by keeping the saltwater fishing tax out of their final plan.
To keep fishing free in New York's coastal waters through 2013, coastal anglers and business owners are urged to participate in a Friday fax campaign to contact key members of the New York Assembly. Follow the step-by-step process below, fax one signed letter off to the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation and another to your own Assembly representative, and hopefully we can continue the tradition of free fishing in New York marine waters.
Step 1
Click here to download a copy of the Friday Fax appeal to Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, chairman of the New York Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, fill it out, sign it and fax it to 631-957-2998.<br />
(www.joinrfa.org/Press/NYAssemblyECON.pdf)
Step 2<br />
Click here to find your Assembly representative and their contact information (if that representative's fax number is not listed at their web page, you may call their office and respectfully ask for that number in order to send this fax.
Step 3<br />
Click here to download a copy of the Friday Fax appeal to your local Assembly representative, fill it out, sign it and send it along. If you're having difficulty finding a fax number, call Jim Hutchinson at 888-564-6732.<br />
(www.joinrfa.org/Press/NYAssemblyMYREP.pdf)
One of the topics that environmental coordinator/reporter John Ferro will no doubt spotlight is the fact that New York's 'free' angler registry will actually sunset at the end of 2012, meaning that it could cost you money to fish in New York saltwater again as of January 1, 2013.
Unless anglers get involved right now!
The New York Senate officially released their 2013 budget plan this week which would continue the suspension of the angler fee for at least another two years. The Recreational Fishing Alliance (RFA) and New York Sportfishing Federation (NYSF) are hoping to see legislation moved forward in the coming months which would permanently repeal the fee to fish once and for all, but today it's up to the anglers to help see the commitment to free fishing carried over again in the 2013 budget.
"We have been following this issue very carefully in the last few months, and we remain encouraged by Governor Cuomo's own personally expressed belief that saltwater fishing should be free," said Jim Hutchinson, RFA's managing director and NYSF president.
"What we have to do right now is ask the New York Assembly to ensure that their budget version reflects the Governor's wishes that there be no fee to fish in marine coastal waters, and that means reconciling their budget with what's presently written into the Senate's version," Hutchinson said.
At a press conference at the Freeport Boatmen's Association on Long Island last August announcing the official suspension of the saltwater fishing license, Governor Cuomo said "there are still some things in life that are free," explaining how saltwater fishing was one of them.
"The federal government required that we help manage a wide variety of species in coastal waters, but it was unfair to ask New Yorkers to pay for it," Governor Cuomo added.
"All the fishing charters, all the bait stores, all the equipment, all the rentals all the boat salesmen, there's an entire industry, especially on Long Island, that's very vibrant," Cuomo told the audience assembled in Freeport, adding "when you charge a tax, a fee, just for someone to get a fishing license you actually retard that industry, you slow the growth in that industry, and that winds up costing you more money than the $10 you were charging in the first place."
"As a saltwater angler himself, Governor Cuomo made a very strong statement that day that he's committed to solving the financial problems in New York without simply implementing new taxes," Hutchinson added. "Governor Cuomo helped close a $10 billion budget deficit in 2011 without taxing our saltwater anglers, and I'm hoping that the New York Assembly can help carry over that tradition into 2013 by keeping the saltwater fishing tax out of their final plan.
To keep fishing free in New York's coastal waters through 2013, coastal anglers and business owners are urged to participate in a Friday fax campaign to contact key members of the New York Assembly. Follow the step-by-step process below, fax one signed letter off to the Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation and another to your own Assembly representative, and hopefully we can continue the tradition of free fishing in New York marine waters.
Step 1
Click here to download a copy of the Friday Fax appeal to Assemblyman Robert Sweeney, chairman of the New York Assembly Committee on Environmental Conservation, fill it out, sign it and fax it to 631-957-2998.<br />
(www.joinrfa.org/Press/NYAssemblyECON.pdf)
Step 2<br />
Click here to find your Assembly representative and their contact information (if that representative's fax number is not listed at their web page, you may call their office and respectfully ask for that number in order to send this fax.
Step 3<br />
Click here to download a copy of the Friday Fax appeal to your local Assembly representative, fill it out, sign it and send it along. If you're having difficulty finding a fax number, call Jim Hutchinson at 888-564-6732.<br />
(www.joinrfa.org/Press/NYAssemblyMYREP.pdf)