Anglers sign here

A proposal by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the federal agency that ultimately governs our nations saltwater fisheries, wants to register all saltwater anglers beginning in 2009.

This measure is sure to face stiff opposition from many sportfishing groups which see angler registration as the first step towards angler licensing. Here in Florida, saltwater fishermen have had a license for more than a decade. But in other states, requiring a license to fish in the ocean is seen as un-American.

Anglers, however, have nothing to fear. An angler registry would help federal fishery managers keep track of the recreational catch. Right now, biologists must rely on blind telephone calls and dockside intercepts to see how many fish anglers really catch.

This system is hit or miss at best. Well, to be quite honest, most anglers believe it is mostly miss.

If federal officials had better numbers, perhaps recreational fishermen would get a greater share of the total allowable catch (TAC). This would prove particularly interesting here on the Gulf Coast where recreational and commercial fishermen have had an adversarial relationship for decades.

More information will be available in coming months. Stay tuned.