To keep better tabs on which fish are being yanked from federal waters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has proposed requiring recreational anglers to join a national registry. For the past three decades, the agency has gleaned (insufficient) information on anglers and the fish they catch by asking questions at public docks and doing an annual phone survey of coastal communities. The proposed registration requirement would apply to pursuers of saltwater species and of fish that spawn in rivers and streams but live in the ocean as adults, including striped bass, salmon, and shad. Registration would be free for the first two years, then likely jump to $15 to $25 a year, but would be waived for youth under age 16 and indigenous people. States that already register saltwater anglers could apply for an exemption. The proposal is open for public comment until Aug. 11.
