The National Saltwater Angler Registry Program has sparked keen interest from coast to coast within the marine fisheries community. The Registry is slated to take effect on January 1, 2010 and New Jersey saltwater anglers should be concerned about its implications for them and the management of the state’s marine resource.

The Registry Program was created by a Federal Rule required under the 2006 Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Act. This Act is the primary law governing marine fisheries management in United States federal waters. Improving the quality and accuracy of National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) surveys to estimate marine recreational harvest was the driving force behind the Registry. The potential benefit of the Registry and better surveys is that size, season and bag limits that affect New Jersey anglers will be based on more reliable harvest data.

Fifteen coastal states require a saltwater fishing license and can provide annual directories of their marine anglers to NMFS for the Registry. New Jersey is one of nine coastal states with nothing in place to register marine anglers. That means New Jersey marine anglers will be required to register with NMFS each year beginning in 2010. There will be no fee for anglers to register in 2010, but in 2011 anglers from states with no means to provide a directory will pay an estimated $15 to $25 annual fee to register with the federal government.

New Jersey angler registry fees to the federal government could be as much as $25 million a year — six times the amount of our annual funding for New Jersey marine fisheries management. Registry fees paid to the federal treasury would not benefit New Jersey anglers or marine resource management in New Jersey.

This comes at a time of increasing requirements to comply with coast-wide fisheries management plans to avoid closures of fisheries in state waters. Today there are 22 coast-wide fisheries management plans for New Jersey species. In 1988, there were none. Yet marine fisheries management funding in our state, when adjusted for inflation, is essentially the same 20 years later.

Competition amongst Atlantic Coast states for shares of coast-wide fisheries resources is increasing at the same time. The winners are often the states with the best scientific data and competing states are spending two to seven times more per angler than New Jersey to collect fisheries data. The consequence of not being able to keep pace was evident in recent tautog harvest restrictions placed on New Jersey anglers because our data was not sufficient to argue against the restrictions. The same could soon be true for winter flounder. Competition for marine resources will continue to increase in the future as will research and monitoring requirements to responsibly manage the state’s marine resources and keep recreational fisheries open to New Jersey anglers.

The National Saltwater Angler Registry poses both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge is to create a state directory of marine anglers without sending angler fees to the federal government. The opportunity is to ensure that there are stable marine fisheries populations and fishing opportunities for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.