Mr. Balsiger’s "My View" column (Times, Saturday, July 11) about the need for licensing recreational fisherman seems a bit schizophrenic, in that his reasoning supports two entirely contradictory statements within the same bit of logic.
On the one hand, he says that National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will begin charging American recreational fishermen "between $15 and $25 for a registration." At the same time, he says, "That fee will be equal to the cost of administering the program." And he adds, "We’re not looking to make money."
Yet, if he has his way, he stands to make quite a bit of money. There are 4 million to 6 million recreational fishermen in our country right now. At $15 to $25 a fisherman, he’s looking at fresh income of $60 million to $150 million each year, to "administer" an activity carried out by people with fishing poles and handlines who are no threat to fish populations, and who would dearly like the government to leave them the hell alone.
Read the complete story at The Gloucester Daily Times.