SavingSeaFood - New Jersey defends $300 to $3,000 fines for saltwater anglers who fish without registering

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New Jersey defends $300 to $3,000 fines for saltwater anglers who fish without registering

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - May 6, 2011 - New Jersey is defending hefty fines that can be imposed against saltwater anglers who do not register to fish.

At a Thursday meeting of the New Jersey Marine Fisheries Council held at the Galloway Township branch of the Atlantic County Library, David Chanda, of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the federal government pushed for the fines.

The state registry for saltwater anglers, required by a 2006 federal law, went into place this week.

Registration is free — but anglers caught fishing without a registration card face fines of $300 to $3,000 for a first offense and $500 to $5,000 for subsequent offenses. Fishing groups argue that the fines are excessive. The New Gretna-based Recreational Fishing Alliance said it is complaining directly to the Governor’s Office.

Read the complete story from Press of Atlantic City.

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