CONCORD, N.H. – On December 31, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s Fisheries Service will release the final rule creating a national saltwater angler registry of all marine recreational fishermen to help the nation better protect its shared marine resources. The rule requires anglers and spearfishers who fish recreationally in federal ocean waters or who fish anywhere in tidal waters for anadromous fish, including striped bass, smelt, shad, or salmon, to register with the national saltwater angler registry beginning January 1, 2010. NOAA had originally proposed that registration be required beginning in January 2009, but, based on public input, decided to give states another year to put in place their own data collection systems. The requirement to establish a registry was part of a law approved by Congress in 2007.
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