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Salt Water Anglers In New Jersey Must Sign Up For Free Registry Online

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Salt water anglers in New Jersey now have to sign up with the state before they head out to fish.

Signing up before you head out on the bay or into the ocean has been a federal requirement for some time. The new, online state system will allow anglers to not only bypass the federal bureaucracy but the $15 annual fee they charge.

New Jersey's is free. Department of Environmental Protection spokesman Larry Hajna says the goal of both programs is the same. "The purpose of the registry is to allow the federal government to collect data on what kind of fish people catch and how many and where."

The one exemption to the law is those who fish on charter boats that have registered.

Failure to comply could cost you $300 in fines if you're caught. New Jersey's program is available online only at www.saltwaterregistry.nj.gov.

Reported By David Madden, KYW Newsradio

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