NJ Saltwater Anglers Must Register To Fish Annually - The Fisherman

NJ Saltwater Anglers Must Register To Fish Annually

Since May 4, 2011, anglers who fish New Jersey marine waters must register every year with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program at saltwaterregistry.nj.gov or face fines of $25 for a first offense, and $50 for subsequent offenses.  Any owner/operator of a for-hire vessel that fails to register with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program will be subject to a penalty of $100 for a first offense and $200 for subsequent offenses.

Signed into law in 2011, state statute N.J.S.A. 23:2B-22 required the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to establish a free recreational saltwater registry to serve as a contact list of anglers and vessel owners/operators for survey purposes.  “An angler registry will facilitate better recreational fishing data in two ways: first it creates a database of recreational fishermen; and second, it allows for an improved survey pool,” the DEP states online at saltwaterregistry.nj.gov.

The New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife recently released their year-end report for 2022 that shows there were 138,607 individuals and 732 for-hire vessels registered with the NJ Saltwater Recreational Registry Program. Those registration numbers are down from 2021 when there were 143,704 individuals and 745 for-hire vessels registered to fish in saltwater.

Before you drop a line in the salt this season, be sure to visit saltwaterregistry.nj.gov and update your 2023 NJ saltwater registry; remember it’s absolutely free for all who fish New Jersey marine waters, residents and non-residents alike.  For freshwater licensing and stamp purchases go to njfishandwildlife.com.

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