April 28, 2015 - Sacramento - Senator Tom Berryhill (R-Twain Harte) announces the Sport Fishing Stimulus Act of 2015 (Senate Bill 345) has cleared its first policy hurdle in the Senate and is now headed toward the Senate Appropriations Committee. The Senate Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed SB 345.
“The Committee’s action today is not only good news for California’s anglers but for the communities up and down the state relying on fishing tourism dollars for survival,” said Berryhill. “Fishing license sales have been in a steady decline for years now. SB 345 is a good step toward reversing that trend.”
Sport fishing license sales in California have plummeted at an astonishing rate. In the last 35 years sales have dropped 55%; meanwhile the cost of an annual license has increased 840%. Important conservation, fish stocking and wildlife programs are threatened by this decline because they are funded by license revenues. In addition, communities dependent on those tourism dollars have suffered.
SB 345 seeks to remedy this situation by doing four things:
- Replace the current calendar year license with a 12 consecutive month license
- Create reduced price ‘junior angler’ license for 16 and 17 year olds
- Exempt charitable organizations from possession and out-of season limits
- Require Fish and Wildlife Commission to clarify possession limit regulations (with suggested corrective legislation or via regulation)
California has one of the nation’s longest coastlines, 4,000 lakes & reservoirs, over 20,000 ponds, and thousands of miles of streams and rivers. A recent study issued by the California Sportfishing League found that the high cost of purchasing an annual recreational fishing license has proven to be a formidable barrier to access and has contributed to an unprecedented decline in recreational fishing.
California offers the 2nd priciest fresh/saltwater annual fishing license in the U.S. What once sold for $5 in 1980, costs $47.01 today, the cost can go up to more than $120 a year when permits and other fees are factored in. The “annual” base residential license of $47.01 is 66% above the average fishing license cost of all coastal states ($28.30) and 76% above the average fishing license cost for all states ($26.73), and, again, these figures do not include any additional permits.
“We have to think outside the box. Making licenses more practical and affordable is an obvious first step. Doing nothing really isn’t an option at this point. This is the third time a legislative policy committee has supported the concept of a consecutive month fishing license. Hopefully the third time is a charm.” concluded Berryhill.
