Registry for Fishermen Is Delayed.

Recreational saltwater anglers no longer face a January deadline to register with the federal government. Instead, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that the registration requirement will be delayed until Jan. 1, 2010. An estimated 15 million people fish for fun in the oceans and tidal areas around the country, and the government is setting up the registry to better understand how the sport affects fish stocks and to gauge its value to local economies. The registration, good for one year, will include an angler’s name, date of birth, address, telephone number and the regions where the person intends to fish. No fee is planned the first year, but the agency said there would be a charge of about $15 to $25 a year starting in 2011.