NC Saltwater fishing license falls short
Published February 6, 2008 by Sabrina GordonIn 2007 the first year that saltwater fishing licenses were required the state only sold 469,565. Falling far short of the estimated 2 million anglers that fish North Carolina every year. Residents of North Carolina bought 179,956 annual and 40,255 short-term licenses that are only valid for ten days. Placing eleventh, Dare County residents bought 7,876 licenses, while residents of Wake County bought 23,682 licenses making them number one.
Bait and tackle shops and other retailers that are license agents, proved to be the most popular by selling 93,237 licenses. However, less than 12 percent of sales were bought at the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission website online. Fisherman from out-of -state bought 131,109 short-term licenses and 23,794 annual licenses. Fisherman from Virgina purchased the most out-of-state licenses, while residents of Pennsylvania and Maryland came in second and third.
Customers on charter-boats, head-boats and public fishing piers can purchase blanket fishing licenses that exempt them from the individual requirement. 835 blanket licenses were sold in 2007.
To help manage and enhance marine resources revenue from license sales goes to the Marine Resources Endowment Fund or the Marine Resources Fund. The interest earned on the lifetime license revenue in the Marine Resources Endowment Fund can be spent. The fund held $2.5 million including $82,000 in interest at the end of 2007. The Wildlife Resources Commission and The Marine Fisheries Commission agreed to develop a fishing pier on the Chowan River and also to creating a guidebook for coastal fisherman.
$855,711 was also used for costs associated with Implementation of the license program. The balance at the end of 2007 was about $2.8 million.
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