Fla Senator wants Free Fishing

http://fltrib.com/senator-wants-go-back-days-free-fishing
A fishing pole might be all that you need to go fishing in Florida, as a bill filed by Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, on Tuesday would remove the requirement for a fishing license.

Negron's SB 744 would lift the license requirement for both residents of Florida and non-residents to recreationally fish in both freshwater and salt water.

The senator said that his intent behind the bill is for government to "stop hassling" people who want to fish in Florida and bring it back to the days of being able to fish whenever and wherever you want without filling out paperwork.

"The bill is my effort to reduce the annoyance and nuisance of government," said Negron.

Despite a budget shortfall that is estimated to be more than $3.6 billion, Negron said that he hopes to replace the revenue lost from eliminating fishing permits by finding the money elsewhere in the budget for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which currently controls the licensing process.

Negron said that what FWC receives from recreational fishing licenses is a "modest amount," but FWC spokesman Lee Schlesinger said that the bill if passed could have "lots of ramifications on wildlife conservation programs and law enforcement."

Schlesinger said that he would have to further review the bill to estimate the financial impacts, but he stated that nearly all of his department's funding comes from fishing licenses, adding that the fees collected are "the engine that drives the management" of Florida's recreational fishing industry.

"We would have to change what we do, reduce programs, or somehow get another source of funding," said Schlesinger.

Negron noted that FWC "is an important and essential agency" but with a $70 billion budget the Legislature should be able to "find the money to fund them without hassling people who want to go fish."

Currently, annual freshwater or saltwater licenses cost Florida residents $17 a piece, while a combo of the two is offered for $32.50. For non-residents, a yearly license for freshwater or saltwater fishing costs $47 a piece.

In 2010, the Legislature passed a bill that no longer required a fee for a resident license for shore saltwater fishing, but Schlesinger said that was to avoid a more costly federal license fee and that a bill such as Sen. Negron's is something entirely different.

Although Negron has felt that a license should not be required for recreational fishing in Florida for some time, it is not until he recently received numerous letters from constituents that he has decided to take action.

"I'm looking at ways to roll back intrusive ways of government, but also there are a few things that you should be able to do when you are broke: fish and go to the beach," Negron said.

WOW...thats remarkable!