via Burlington Times News
Someone from Iran has been fishing along the North Carolina coast. Someone from Israel has, too.
Someone from both nations bought a coastal recreational fishing license in the first year of its existence. They were among nearly 460,000 coastal recreational fishing licenses sold this year, the Joint Legislative Commission on Seafood and Aquaculture learned on Thursday.
According to the report on the coastal fishing license, the licenses have been issued to people in every county in North Carolina, in 62 U.S. states and territories and in countries throughout the world. The license has brought in $5.7 million in fees.
“Lots of people are coming from other countries,” said Louis Daniel, director of the Division of Marine Fisheries.
While the overwhelming number – 458,103 – came from the United States, 493 came from Canada, 97 from the United Kingdom, 43 from Germany and 40 from Mexico.
More than half — 306,901 — were residents of North Carolina. The most out-of-state coastal anglers came from states up the East Coast: Virginia 55,537, Pennsylvania, 20,916 and Maryland 12,386.
Wake County was the No. 1 county of residence with 23,115 such residents getting the license. Alamance County folks bought 4,181 of the coastal fishing permits to rank 23rd statewide. Caswell County ranked 82nd with only 554 licenses.
Commission member Sean McKeon, president of the N.C. Fisheries Association, a trade group representing commercial fishermen, asked Daniel if there is any way to tell how many people acquiring recreational fishing licenses had commercial fishing ties.
“Yes sir,” Daniel responded, noting that he could match the names up with people who possessed commercial fishing licenses.
Daniel said he didn’t have a way to determine how many recreational license holders were family members or friends of a commercial fisherman.
McKeon said he had a concern that eventually, fisheries would be allocated to recreational anglers at the expense of commercial fishermen.
The law requiring saltwater recreational anglers to get a license took effect Jan. 1.
On efforts to improve waterfront access, Daniel said that staff members and committees are already working to identify and gather information on proposed projects. He said he hopes to announce the projects chosen for funding by February 2008.
“These projects are outstanding projects, the ones that we’ve see thus far,” Daniel said.
Daniel said that statutes and funding mechanisms require that projects receiving the money be owned by the state.
He said that people using piers operated by the state would likely be charged an access fee so that the state doesn’t undercut privately operated piers. However, he said there would likely be no fee for people to launch a boat from a state facility.
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