Advocates, foes make their cases during hearing at Phippsburg clubhouse
PHIPPSBURG A public information session on a proposed saltwater license drew about 30 people Monday night. Most turned out to object vehemently to what they see as a right, with several muttering "Fish free or die" as they took their seats at the Phippsburg Sportsman's Association clubhouse.
Rep. Leila Percy, D-Phippsburg who sponsored the bill, LD 1811, that would institute a state saltwater fishing license program joined Rep. Thom Watson, D-Bath; Bruce Joule, manager of recreational fishing for the Department of Marine Resources; and Sportsman's Alliance of Maine executive director George Smith to weigh in on the proposal.
The group spoke for about half an hour before responding to questions and comments that at times expressed frustration, anger and skepticism about the motive for and logic behind of the saltwater fishing license proposal.
Percy said she submitted the bill with Sen. Dennis Damon, D-Trenton, co-chairman of the Marine Resources Committee, because the federal government plans to institute a federal registry of saltwater anglers and licensing program to start in January 2009. If the federal government institutes the program, she said, license fees would go to them, but states will keep those fees if they institute a program.
Percy said that an April 23 public hearing on the bill in Augusta generated "so many good questions" that a committee work session on LD 1811 has been delayed until May 14.
Marine Resources Commissioner George Lapointe is in San Diego to meet with representatives of states that have similar licenses, she said, and he plans to present information on those programs at the work session.
Percy said Lapointe proposed an amendment to the bill, which she supports, in which once the "vehicle for the license" is decided on, the Department of Marine Resources would design the program and report back to the committee in 2008. The state would not start selling a license until 2009, she said.
"This is not a grab for taxes," said Watson, a member of the Taxation Committee. Watson said he disagrees with Percy about the proposed cost of the license, but does support a registry "to keep track of who's fishing in the salt. ... I truly feel it's inevitable. I know it's going to happen. The feds are making it happen.
All we're doing is taking charge of a program that's going to be forced on us. If you want a place at the table for working this thing out over the next couple of years, you need to get in there."
The Sportsman's Alliance of Maine opposes the license, said Smith, adding that although the federal government may require a registry in 2009, "we certainly don't have to do anything this year."
Smith said similar bills proposed in recent years have all been defeated, and while this year's version is getting more attention than usual, he remains confident it won't be successful.
Joule explained that current estimates for the number of recreational saltwater fishermen are unreliable, and a registry will provide "more accurate and precise estimates." Despite Joule's explanation that the statistical survey proposed has been peer-reviewed and vetted by statisticians, several audience members were skeptical of such data, including Phippsburg resident Tip Newell, who said he worked for National Marine Fisheries for 25 years.
"Data collected from recreational fishermen is worthless," Newell said. "Ninety percent is probably lies.
In my opinion, we should tell the federal government we're not interested in what you want."
"What if we tell the federal government to stick it?" Phippsburg resident Pete Roberts repeatedly asked Percy. "Who will enforce it? Our coastal wardens can't keep up with lobstering, and you're going to Mickey Mouse them with this? ... Our marine patrol cannot take on any added burden."
"I'm not interested in telling the federal government to stick it," Percy responded.
"You ought to be, Leila," Roberts fired back.
But commercial fisherman Ed Hunt of Phippsburg, citing federal regulations limiting the number of days a commercial boat can fish, said, "If you think the federal government can't do what they want to do, you're living in a fantasy world ... If you'd rather deal with the devil you don't know than the devil you do ..." Others questioned the cost of the program to the state of Maine. Percy said she expects Lapointe to return from San Diego with those numbers.
While a "yea or nay" show of hands requested by George Shaw of Pittston revealed only one audience member who supported a saltwater fishing license, Percy said the real question is whether they want a state license or a federal license.
"It's not a matter of if, but when," she said.
"I'd rather go with the when, and take my chances," Shaw said.
Smith said while he is not advocating a licensing program, he proposed implementing the current system used by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife "if you ever wanted to do it in a sensible way ... You could plug into that system at no additional cost" to track only those fishing in salt water.
Percy said the committee will still accept public testimony by mail or e-mail until the May 14 work session, which she encouraged people to attend.
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