With the saltwater license new this year it could be a test case. That being said. What could be a legal analogy is as follows. When someones drivers license in Connecticut is suspended their right to operate is what is actually suspended. Meaning if they obtained a license in another state for instance they still could not operate in Connecticut.
What Skip is saying is that theory also applies to a fishing license/priviledges to fish are also taken away.
The Captain however as previously stated has no dog in the fight and could not possibly be held liable.