I attended a meeting of the Parks and Recreational Council at the Dover Public Library Jan. 17, where the Parks and Recreation Division presented their proposal to increase the fee for surf-fishing tags $10 for Delaware residents and $20 for nonresidents. They also plan to cap the total number of tags issued at 17,000 per year.
In 2018, the division issued 17,361 surf-fishing tags. Firefighters were issued 1,035 free tags. That was allowed by HB401, passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor in 2012.
Delaware residents purchased 7,770 one-year tags ($621,600). Nonresidents bought 3,002 tags ($480,320). Senior resident tags totaled 1,816 ($127,120). Nonresident senior tags amounted to 648 ($90,720). The two-year senior resident tags amounted to 732 ($102,480), and nonresident seniors purchased 68 two-year tags ($19,040). Two-year resident tags totaled 2,019 ($161,520), and they only sold 241 two-year nonresident tags ($38,560). That’s a total of $1,641,360 received by the Division of Parks and Recreation from the sale of surf-fishing tags.
Now before you go off complaining about being taxed to death just for the privilege of driving your surf-fishing vehicle on the beach, consider that tag also allows you to enter any state park for free. That alone is worth $35. Then consider the fee for driving on the beach in New Jersey ($225 for nonresidents, $195 for residents), Maryland ($70 to $150) or North Carolina ($120).
The most important thing, and the reason I am happy to pay my fair share, is this makes surf fishermen a revenue-generating entity, not a negative mark on the books of the Division of Parks and Recreation. When a state or federal agency has a user group that brings in more money than they cost that agency to maintain, it is a pretty safe bet that user group will be allowed to continue to pursue their particular activity. In other words, there is a good chance the state will continue to allow mobile surf fishermen to use the beaches at the various state parks.
Once the state made its presentation, the floor was opened for comments from the public. Each speaker was limited to two minutes, which was visible on two screens at the front of the room counting down. When the timer reached zero, a beeper went off and the speaker was asked to be seated.
What a great idea! When you have attended as many public hearings as I have, you know at least one person, and usually more than one, will drone on endlessly, and this system put an end to that.
The top complaint voiced by those who spoke was lack of enforcement. The actively fishing rule was cited as the one most obviously taken advantage of by people who have no intention of fishing and use their surf-fishing tag to drive the family up on the beach for the purpose of doing just about anything but fishing.
In 2018, the park rangers made 87 arrests for not being actively engaged in fishing or not having fishing equipment. Considering that we had 17,361 surf-fishing permits issued in 2018, that seems like a pretty small number. Then you have to consider we only had seven full-time rangers who responded to 1,834 complaints – 262 per ranger. There will be one more ranger in 2019, and, if the Legislature approves, seasonal park patrol officers will be allowed to issue tickets. A portion of the fee increase will go toward increasing the workweek for rangers from 37.5 to 40 hours per week.
One speaker wanted to know where the money from the surf-fishing permit tags goes. The answer is it all stays in the Division of Parks and Recreation. Some will go toward improving the air stations and maintaining the dune crossings, while the public restrooms and picnic tables along with many other park necessities will also be paid for with these funds.
Morty Morton from the Brethren of the Coast complained that surf fishermen were being unfairly burdened by the increased fees. Bruce West said he didn’t want to see any fee increase until we had better enforcement.
Charles W. Turnbaugh, president of Delaware Beach Access Coalition, presented an 11-page, color-illustrated comment accusing mobile surf fishermen of pretty much everything short of bringing about the fall of human civilization. What he really wanted was the beach in front of his condo all to himself. The fact that that beach is a state park that’s been open to surf fishermen long before his condo was built seems lost on him. Four other condo owners spoke. All wanted to make it known that they did not belong to Turnbaugh’s coalition and they got along just fine with the mobile surf fishermen.
The speakers wrapped up around 11 a.m., and the council then discussed the proposal before voting. To no one’s great surprise, both the fee increase and the cap on permits passed unanimously.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
