BY JESSICA PORTER • CAPITAL NEWS SERVICE • FEBRUARY 24, 2010
RICHMOND -- The General Assembly has unanimously passed legislation by Delegate Lynwood Lewis,D-Accomac, and Sen. Ralph Northam, D-Norfolk, to prevent nonresidents from getting a commercial fishing license from Virginia if their home state doesn't reciprocate for Virginians.
House Bill 1291 and Senate Bill 192 will prohibit the Virginia Marine Resources Commission "from selling a commercial fishing license to a nonresident whose state of residence does not offer for sale the same or similar license to a resident of the Commonwealth."
Currently, fishermen from states such as Maryland and New Jersey come to Virginia to buy licenses that neither they nor Virginians can get in their home state.
"Maybe (the bill) will broaden the doors on what we're able to do. And if it doesn't broaden our doors, maybe it will stop people from taking our resources," said Ken Smith, president of the Virginia Waterman's Association.
HB 1291 passed 97-0 in the House and 40-0 in the Senate. It has been sent to Gov. Bob McDonnell for his signature.
SB 192 passed 39-0 in the Senate and 95-0 in the House but with amendments.
"It's basically a reciprocity bill," said John Bull, spokesman for the Marine Resources Commission. "If other states are not treating Virginia fisherman the same way we treat their fisherman ... the license structure will change as a result."
Read the whole story in the Eastern Shore News
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