The current set of state laws that regulate the issuance of state marine commercial fishing licenses all sunset on 31 December 2007.  The Council has traditionally worked with DEC staff and the commercial fishing industry to develop recommendations on revising and extending these laws more effectively accommodate the evolving landscape of marine commercial fishing in New York.  Mr. Colvin noted that the State will have a new governor next year and all state agencies (certainly DEC) are thinking hard about what legislative proposals should be made to the new Governor and administration.  The initiatives will be fairly limited until the transition team is appointed, the DEC will mainly focus on laws, authorities, etc. that are sun setting and need to be looked at.  He noted that lawyers in the State Attorney General’s office have had to defend litigation regarding the issue of income-based eligibility in the issuance of commercial fishing license, and they are raising serious concerns about the legality of using income as a criterion in issuing licenses.  They have asked the Department to consider and evaluate a substitute for income both in the statutes governing commercial fishing license as well as in regulations for fluke and striped bass permits/tag shares.  Chairman Wise asked for volunteers from the Council to join a Council-DEC work group to develop specific recommendations for modifications to the current laws governing the issuance of marine commercial fishing licenses.  He noted that the final report from the group would be needed at the November 2006 Council meeting so that DEC would have an opportunity to raise these recommendations with the State Legislature in the 2007 legislative session.  This group will meet 3 times before the next council meeting.  The members of the group are William Wise, Thomas Jordan, Sima Freierman, Joseph McBride, John Davi, Brad Loewen and Gordon Colvin.

 

Page last modified Friday, November 3, 2006 by George E. Carroll