I have a son that lives in Ma and he and we fish out of Niantic. We occasionally fish the Race, the Sluice, and maybe the south side of Fishers Island. Most fishing is in Ct waters.

What is the best thing for him to do to be legal? Do I need a NY license?

Sure is complicated these day.......ugh!

An old fisherman getting confused and have never violated anything and do not want to. Thanks in advance.

Carl

Oh....Just saw this......

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Saltwater Angler Registry Opens on New Year’s Day
New program, part of improved data collection system, to help protect nation’s ocean resources
Saltwater recreational fishermen have long expressed concerns about the data used to estimate the effects of recreational fishing on ocean resources and the nation’s economy. The National Saltwater Angler Registry, which launches on Friday, will help address that concern by providing a comprehensive list of the nation’s saltwater anglers that will be used to improve surveys of fishermen. These surveys are used by NOAA scientists to assess the health of fish stocks and to estimate the economic contributions of anglers.
Many saltwater recreational fishermen will be required to register before fishing in 2010. The registry is open for registrations starting Friday, January 1. But if you have a state saltwater fishing license, you may already be part of the registry.
“By registering, recreational anglers will make their catch count," said Jim Balsiger, acting NOAA assistant administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service. “The National Saltwater Angler Registry is an important tool that will enable us to better estimate the health of marine fisheries so that we’re able to preserve the pastime of recreational saltwater fishing for generations to come."
“Recreational fishers need the registry,” says Capt. Monty Hawkins, a party boat operator and recreational fishing advocate based in Ocean City, Md. “People’s lives depend on the quality of the government’s information. It’s the basis for management decisions on everything from creel limits to whether to shut down whole sections of the coast. I’ve been harshly critical of recreational fishing data in the past, but I welcome the registry as a way to improve upon the current system."
Gordon Colvin, a biologist with NOAA’s Fisheries Service and interim senior policy advisor on recreational fishing to Balsiger, who has spearheaded the registry implementation, said that many anglers will not need to take any action to register, because their coastal states already have agreements in place with NOAA to share state saltwater fishing license information.
Who Needs to Register:
Recreational saltwater fishermen will need to register if they:
• Hold a license from one of 10 coastal states or territories which do not currently have comprehensive saltwater angler license or registration requirements—Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Fish for or are likely to catch anadromous species in tidal and salt waters; these are fish like river herring, shad, smelt and striped bass that live in the oceans but spawn in fresh water, OR
• Fish in the federal waters more than three miles from the ocean shore or from the mouths of rivers or bays
Who Doesn’t Need to Register
Some anglers don’t have to register if they:
• Hold a license from one of 15 coastal states with comprehensive licensing or registration — Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Washington;
• Are not required under state law in one of these 15 states to hold a fishing license as is sometimes the case with seniors or active-duty military;
• Are under age 16;
• Pay to fish on licensed charter, party or guide boats;
• Hold a Highly Migratory Species Angling permit or subsistence fishing permit;
• Fish commercially under a valid license.
National Saltwater Angler registration is free in 2010. To register beginning Friday, anglers can visit http://www.countmyfish.noaa.gov and click on the Angler Registry link, or call the toll-free registration line at 1-888-MRIP411 (1-888-674-7411) from 4:00 am to 12 midnight EST daily.
Anglers will need to provide their name, date of birth, address and telephone number, and will receive a registration number that will allow them to begin fishing immediately. They will receive a registration card in the mail in about 30 days.
Steve Medeiros, executive director of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association and a leading advocate for a saltwater fishing license in his state, said the registry is an important step. “While it’s true that some fishermen don’t like the idea of having to register to participate in a sport they’ve taken for granted their whole lives, anyone fishing today knows that increasing pressures on the ocean are having a real effect,” he said. “If we’re going to pass the sport down to our children and grandchildren, we’re going to need sound management based on good data.”
The registry will be used as the basis for conducting surveys of saltwater recreational fishermen to find out how often they fish. It will eventually replace the use of random-digit dialing to coastal households, a system NOAA has had in place since the 1970s. The goal is to improve survey efficiency and reduce bias by making calls only to homes where people fish, and reaching saltwater anglers who live outside coastal counties.
While the registry is among the most visible aspects of NOAA’s Marine Recreational Information Program, it is only one component of this rigorous multi-year, multi-phased overhaul of the system NOAA uses to collect and report recreational fishing data. Each piece of its design and implementation has been guided by close working relationships among NOAA personnel, fisheries managers, state partners, independent scientists and the recreational fishing community.
Recreational fishermen should also remember that regardless of whether an individual is registered with NOAA, they must obey all state regulations and licensing requirements where they are fishing.
NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/noaa.lubchenco.
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I know MA has gone with the Federal Registry for 2010 and they are going to their own license in 2011. The way our law is written we will give reciprocal privileges to any of the New England states who recognize our marine license. If MA recognizes our license when they put theirs into effect then your son could have a MA resident marine license and fish in CT marine waters.

Right now your son would need a CT non-resident marine license or a NY non-resident marine license to legally fish in CT marine waters.

We will recognize a Marine License from the New England states and New York PROVIDED they offer the same reciprocity to our license. (Note - MARINE LICENSE, not Federal Registry) For someone who is a non-resident they can legally fish CT's portion of LIS if they have a NY non-resident Marine license. They are not CT residents, so they are not required to purchase a CT Marine license UNLESS they don't have a license from a state that we have reciprocal privileges with. If they are non-residents and don't have a NY non-resident license, they would need to purchase a CT non-resident Marine license. When MA (or ME or NH or RI) institutes their own Marine license in 2011 we'll have to see if it is worded to offer reciprocity to CT residents. If it does, this would kick in the reciprocity portion of our statute to allow MA residents with a MA resident Marine license to fish in CT's portion of LIS. One caveat....I don't know if NY will recognize a MA Marine license - so if someone from MA (in 2011) is fishing in CT's portion of LIS (provided the reciprocity is valid), and they cross into NY waters in LIS, they may not be legal. They would need to check with New York on that question.

You're welcome....I think?

Our Government dollars at work. What a mess.