Salt-water sport fishing licenses would provide a double source 

 of revenue for fishery management programs. Not only would revenues be avail- 

 able from the sale of the licenses, but additional monies would be derived from 

 a greater apportionment of the Dingell -Johnson funds. The Dingell -Johnson 

 Act of 1950, which levies a 10 percent excise tax on all fishing tackle, auth- 

 orizes that these tax monies be apportioned and returned to the individual states 

 for management of fishery resources. Apportionment is based on the number of 

 licensed fishermen in the state and the area of each state, including coastal 

 and Great Lakes waters. At present, two coastal states (Texas and California) 

 have a state-wide salt-water fishing license program. 



The major problems foreseen in establishing fishery management/ 

 research programs are socially and economically oriented. The public must be 

 made aware of the importance and necessity of such programs. Presently, no 

 accurate data are available regarding the precise impacts of sport or commer- 

 cial fishing on the fishery resource, and this impact must be determined in order 

 to establish a good fishery management program for the future., 



Political and legal problems are anticipated in obtaining funding 

 for these programs » The use of non-rebated gasoline taxes to help support 

 these programs would obviously necessitate state legislative action. The major 

 disadvantages associated \,<i±th salt-water licensing arise from the opposition 

 of many sport fishermen. Most of their objections to licensing are based on 

 possible misuse of the license revenues. However, if license revenues are 

 ear-marked specifically for management of the marine fishery resource, then 

 the monies can be used to construct piers, to promote small boat rental facil- 

 ities, to establish artificial reefs, or to purchase additional access rights 

 on rivers and shoreline for fishing, all of which will be to the benefit of the 

 salt-water sport fishermen. 



Preserve/ create/ res tore wetlands . Any effort to maintain the 

 natural biological productivity of the Sound area must center on the preserva- 

 tion and management of the Sound's wetlands. Both tidal salt marshes and in- 

 land fresh- water wetlands contribute significantly to the productivity of the 

 Sound's ecosystem, serving as nursery and spasming habitats, sediment traps, 

 pollution filtrants, and as primary links in the marine and fresh-water food 

 chains. Preservation efforts would be directed towards insuring wetland quality 

 with such programs as (1) maintenance of a "buffer zone" i\dthin which no devel- 

 opment would be permitted, (2) stricter adherence to sewage outfall and dredging 

 and filling regulations, and (3) limitations of public access to wetlands on a 

 seasonal basis. Also many additional salt marsh areas could be restored if 

 fill material and/or Phragmites communis were removed, the proper grading was 

 restored, and the area was planted with Spartina alternif lora . At the present 

 time, there are ongoing wetland restoration programs in Fairfield County, 

 Connecticut and in the Town of Huntington, New York. Objections to wetland 

 preservation would most likely be based upon economic concerns dealing with 

 loss of developable land. 



As a flood control measure, many tidal impoundments have been in- 

 stalled along the Sound coastline, particularly in Connecticut. Unfortunately, 

 when these tidal impoundments were installed, some salt marshes began to 



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