Time to renew your NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/REGISTRATION IS STILL FREE Background: In 2006 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was charged with the creation of a universal phonebook – or registry – of all current saltwater anglers in the United States. The registry was developed to allow NOAA to quickly and easily contact current saltwater anglers in an effort to gain more accurate and timely information on recreational fisheries. States were allowed to establish their own registry program for saltwater anglers that fished in their state. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection established its own registry program, the New Jersey Saltwater Recreational Registry Program, to exempt saltwater recreational anglers fishing in New Jersey’s marine and tidal waters from the federal registry and the $15.00 federal registration fee imposed in 2011. The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) implemented the New Jersey Saltwater Recreational Registry Program (NJSRRP) effective May 4, 2011 through Administrative Order No. 2011-05.
Purpose: The registry is an important tool that will help fishermen and policy makers work together to better account for the contributions and impacts of saltwater anglers on ocean ecosystems and coastal economies. It is part of a national overhaul of the way NOAA collects and reports recreational fishing data. The goal of the initiative - known as the Marine Recreational Information Program, or MRIP - is to provide the most accurate information possible that can be used to determine the health of fish stocks. Reliable, universally trusted data will in turn aid anglers, fisheries managers and other stakeholders in their combined efforts to effectively and fairly set the rules that will ensure the long-term sustainability of recreational fishing. For more information, visit
www.CountMyFish.noaa.gov.
This Registry is
NOT a License. New Jersey does not have a saltwater license. All Marine Fisheries Rules and Regulations must be followed at all times.
For more information on the New Jersey Saltwater Recreational Registry Program, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page.
WHO NEEDS TO REGISTER?NOTE: Anglers with a valid registration with the National Saltwater Angler Registry or have a valid license from another exempted state are required to register (for free) with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program. Registration with NJ will exempt you from having to register with the National Saltwater Angler Registry.
Individual saltwater anglers ages 16 and older MUST register if ANY of the following criteria are met:
•Recreationally fish with a hand line or rod and line, spearfish or fish by hand
•Recreationally fish in the marine and fresh tidal waters of the State of New Jersey
•Recreationally fish in marine waters outside the State of New Jersey but land the catch in New Jersey
Individual saltwater anglers are EXEMPT from registering if either of the following apply:•Under the age of 16
•Solely fish on for-hire (party and charter) vessels that are registered with the New Jersey Saltwater Recreational Registry Program
For-hire vessel owners/operators MUST register if:•Carry individuals who engage in recreational fishing in the marine and fresh tidal waters of the State of New Jersey
OR•Carry individuals who engage in recreational fishing in the marine waters outside the State of New Jersey but land their catch in New Jersey
