ATTENTION SHAD, STRIPED BASS, AND RIVER HERRING ANGLERS

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ATTENTION SHAD, STRIPED BASS, AND RIVER HERRING ANGLERS

Friday, January 22, 2010

Harrisburg, PA – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission (PFBC) are reminding anglers that a new federal law requires anglers who target or catch shad, striped bass, and river herring from the Delaware River below Trenton Falls or in the Delaware Estuary to register with the National Saltwater Angler Registry.

Anglers do not need to register if they meet one of the following exceptions:
-Are under the age of 16.
-Only fish on licensed charter, party, or guide boats.
-Hold a Highly Migratory Species Angling Permit.
-Fish commercially under a valid license.
-Possess a New York Marine Recreational License.
-Possess a Delaware Fisherman Information Network (F.I.N.) Number.

Please note that registered anglers must still possess a valid state fishing license.

Registration is quick, easy, and free in 2010. Anglers may visit the Registry website at

www.countmyfish.noaa.gov and click on the Angler Registry link or call the toll-free registration line at 1-888-MRIP-411 (1-888-674-7411). Anglers will be asked to provide their name, date of birth, address, and telephone number and will immediately receive a registration number. Anglers will receive a registration card by mail in approximately 30 days.

The registry is an important tool to help anglers and federal 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