Like it or not, starting Saturday, everyone casting a line from a saltwater shore or pier will need a new $9 annual shore fishing license.
The new requirement overturns a longtime freebie for Florida residents. Fishing in fresh water or from a boat in saltwater has always required a license, but Aug. 1 is the kick-off of a new requirement for shore fishing.
If wildlife officers catch an angler without a license, they can fine the fisherman up to $70.
HOW MUCH ARE THE LICENSES?
The annual license is $9. If you already have the $17 license for fishing from vessels, you are covered.
WHAT ABOUT VIOLATORS?
If you are caught without a license, you could be fined. Fines are set by each county. The fine is $68.50 in Sarasota County. In Manatee County, it’s $50 plus the cost of the license.
WHO IS EXEMPT?
• Seniors age 65 and older.
• Children 16 and younger.
• Active-duty military on leave.
• Families who qualify for assistance such as food stamps or Medicaid.
• The permanently disabled.
• Persons who fish in their home counties with cane poles.
ARE FRESHWATER LICENSES AFFECTED?
Those annual licenses will remain $17.
WHAT ABOUT TOURISTS?
Non-residents are already required to buy licenses. Fees range from $17 to $47, depending on how long the visitor will be here.
WHAT ABOUT FISHING AT LICENSED PIERS?
If you fish from a pier that is already licensed by the state, you will not need a permit as an individual, though fees charged by the pier owners may apply. Those piers include:
• Sunshine Skyway
• Rod & Reel, 875 North Shore Drive, Anna Maria
• Anna Maria City Pier, 100 S. Bay Blvd., Anna Maria
• Venice Municipal Pier, 1600 Harbor Drive S., Venice
• City Pier, 200 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach
WHY NOW?
The National Marine Fisheries Service wants to create a registry of all recreational saltwater anglers. It intends to contact them to collect data as it makes decisions about how to manage fisheries.
Congress decided that coastal states could impose their own license and build their own database. If they do not, the federal government would step in and do so.
By managing its own program, Florida keeps the estimated $1.7 million it expects to collect.
