The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has issued a federal rule creating the National Saltwater Angler Registry. The registry will contain the contact information of all saltwater anglers and will be used to improve the quality of federal surveys that estimate angler catch and effort information. Saltwater fishermen will be required to register with the NMFS, after December 31, 2009. Beginning in 2011, an annual fee of $15 to $25 will be charged to register.

Anglers are not required to register, if they hold a license issued by a state that has been designated by the NMFS as an exempted state. This report presents two options for Virginia to achieve the exempted-state designation. The first option requires the repeal of the recreational boat, rental boat, and commercial pier licenses and removal of the exemptions that allow unlicensed anglers to fish from private real property or from shore. This option requires most anglers to purchase the individual saltwater license and would generate approximately $1.2 million in additional license fees and up to $2.0 million in additional federal Sport Fish Restoration Funds.

A second option requires the design and implementation of a state-level registration program and leaves intact the existing state licensing program. The estimated costs to implement this option are $145,000 - $445,000.