If you get a check in the mail asking you to relinquish your 2012 Mass. Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit, think very carefully before you cash it. The Division of Marine Fisheries (MarineFisheries) is collaborating with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) to collect information on the state's recreational saltwater fishery to measure its economic value.
Basically, it's NOAA's bright idea and one NOAA official reportedly said that it's going to cause a commotion, which it has. NOAA has allocated a total of $145,000 to conduct the survey of which $75,000 is earmarked for cash offers as bait to lure saltwater anglers into taking it hook, line and sinker and cashing the checks in return for giving up their 2012 Mass. Recreational Saltwater Fishing Permit and thus their privilege to fish state marine waters this year.
Nearly 20,000 anglers have already bough their 2012 permits, and the checks, ranging from $15 to $500, are in the mail to about 500 anglers. Another 700 mailings include cash offers (would you be willing to not fish this year for x-amount of dollars?) and another 700 random recipients will receive a questionnaire asking how much they'd be willing to pay for the recreational saltwater permit, other than the current $10. If you get a check and cash it, you must mail your 2012 saltwater fishing permit back.
Read the complete opinion piece from The Standard-Times.