For those going to the meeting tomorrow night, the meeting place has changed. Here is the news from the NHF&G:

LOCATION CHANGE FOR PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED MARINE RECREATIONAL FISHING LICENSE

DURHAM, N.H. -- The meeting place has changed for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department's January 24 public information session for saltwater anglers. The session will now be held on January 24 at 7:30 p.m. in the 1925 Room of the Elliot Alumni Center on the University of New Hampshire (UNH) campus. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss proposed legislation for a marine recreational fishing license in New Hampshire.

The meeting had originally been scheduled to take place at Fish and Game's Region 3 office at 225 Main Street in Durham. To reach the Elliot Alumni Center from the Region 3 office, head east on Main Street (toward the UNH campus) and turn left onto Edgewood Road, then left again onto Strafford Avenue. The Center is at the corner of Edgewood and Strafford. Parking is available in front of the center. Maps will be available at the Region 3 office.

The New Hampshire Fish and Game Commission has proposed a marine recreational fishing license as one of several options for new funding mechanisms and data gathering for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. The marine fishing license would generate new license dollars while providing "user funding" for Fish and Game's management of marine resources. It would also help Fish and Game identify saltwater anglers, something now required by the federal Magnuson-Stevens Act. The public information session will address these issues in addition to reciprocity with other coastal states and the concerns of party or charter boat owners.

A new federal law called the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires the federal government to create a registry program for all marine recreational anglers as a means to improve the quality and accuracy of catch and effort data collected by the Marine Recreational Fishery Statistics Survey (MRFSS). Information from the MRFSS is regularly used in stock assessments that assist in the management of fish such as striped bass, cod, haddock, and bluefish. Marine anglers would be exempt from this federal registry program if New Hampshire had a marine recreational fishing license.

Currently, the Atlantic coast states of North Carolina through Florida, as well as all Gulf and Pacific coast states, require a marine recreational fishing license to fish in salt water.

For more information on this meeting, contact John Nelson or Doug Grout at (603) 868-1095.

What happens if I fish in mass and have to come back home through nh. would i get busted? with no license I mean.

Are you fishing from shore or a boat?

If you're fishing from shore and bringing your catch back into NH in your vehicle, I don't see why you would need a NH license.

If you're fishing from a boat and launch in NH to go fish in Mass or Maine, you're bound by NH law on what you keep when you get back to the launch site.


Mass and Maine will have one soon, and our license will be reciprical with both of them, if not all of New England. And our license won't be in place until 2008.

What sucks is the majority of people who will be buying this license, most likely already buy a freshwater or hunting license. I also think there should be a cheaper "shore fishing" permit.

I personally don't have a gripe, one trip offshore generally costs $100+(that's extrememly conservative), so $15 will be worth it to finally have some concrete numbers as to how many salt water anglers there are, then we will have a leg to stand on when quotas are set, or fisheries are opened or closed.

Just my opinions.

Sorry, didn't see the thread below.

is the reciprical part written in stone for the salt water liscense, this would be a huge factor. if all the states were doing this together at the same time it would seem more legit, with all the different liscenses i have to get now it comes down to me having to descide which state im not going to fish in this year, its getting pricey for those on lower budgets. it really doesnt sound reciprical if its not imposed in other states, just an assumption that it might.

It's not just an assumption, I spoke to Lee Perry myself, and they've already had talks with Mass and Maine, and I can't see it being any other way, at the very least with Maine(Piscat). Both Mass and Maine will have one in 08 along with us(those 2 states love to screw their citizens), as we are about to find out in NH. Sorry, I shouldn't get political here. Come on 4/1.