By Megan V. Williams
Wilmington, NC – Anglers from as far away as Angola and the Ukraine cast their fishing lures along North Carolina's coastline last year.
The state knows this because of data gathered from the first year of the new recreational saltwater fishing licenses. All told, the Department of Marine Fisheries sold nearly half a million licenses last year, with visitors from all 50 states and 63 foreign countries purchasing permits.
Those numbers don't include many people who only used fishing piers or charter boats, which can purchase blanket licenses for their clients.
In state, residents of coastal counties and the Triangle made up the bulk of all licenses sold.
According to Marine Fisheries' Douglas Mumford, the license is a first step toward a better understanding of recreational fishing in North Carolina.
"Before we sold a license, we'd get the question, how many anglers do you have in North Carolina? We'd always say, well, we'd need to sell a license first. So, now we know."
Mumford says the department can now call those who provided contact information when signing up to ask about how often they went fishing and for what, leading eventually to more accurate totals for the recreational fish catch.
Information isn't the old thing the state gathered from the licenses last year. Sales of the permits brought in more than seven million dollars, money the state intends to use to improve recreational fishing.
Among the projects being funded this year is an angler's guide with information ranging from where to find popular fishing spots to size limits and identification tips for certain fish. Money will also go toward the construction of a fishing pier and facilities in the town of Edenton in Chowan County.
Marine Fisheries' spokesperson Nancy Fish says this project has a special significance for the Department.
"We thought that was very symbolic because that is in joint waters between inland fisheries and coastal fisheries and we manage this license with the Wildlife Resources Commission."
Fish says few people were ticketed last year for not having a license, with wildlife officers instead issuing warnings and information to those caught in violation. That will change this year, she said.
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Added Content:
-More information about the North Carolina Coastal Recreational Fishing License
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