FISHING FOR ANSWERS Rell mum on marine licenses
Posted on 06/15/2009
NORWALK
By ROBERT KOCH
Hour Staff Writer
Saltwater fishing licenses will not be required "unless and until" Gov. M. Jodi Rell signs the bill calling for their enactment, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"The bill has not technically reached the governor's desk yet, and when it does, she will have 15 days to signs it. If she does sign it, it would take effect upon passage," DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said Monday. "The bill does not become law unless and until the governor signs it."
"We're waiting now to see if we get the green light," Schain added.
Rell's office on Monday declined to comment on the bill until "Rell has had a chance to review it."
The DEP had made the licenses available online but yanked them Friday afternoon. Schain said a message was sent to all licensed retailers and town clerks, advising them that the department was "ending availability of marine license and that the license was not required and would not be for sale unless Rell signs bill."
By the time the DEP yanked the licenses, 132 licenses had been sold at Fisherman's World, a bait-and-tackle shop off Liberty Square, according to owner Rick Mola. Several licenses had been sold in the Town Clerk office at City Hall. The cost of the licenses would be $10 for Connecticut residents and $15 for non-residents.
The issuance and sudden halt has caused confusion for town clerks and for retailers such as Mola.
"I've never heard of such a thing -- the DEP going and issuing licenses without the governor signing off on it," Mola said.
Norwalk Town Clerk Andrew S. Garfunkel said e-mails have been circulating among town clerks in Connecticut concerning the marine fishing licenses.
"None of us know what the heck is going on. ... We're fishing for answers," Garfunkel joked.
Garfunkel, Mola and others had expected the licenses to be mandatory on Monday, based upon earlier correspondence sent to town clerks. If and when the licenses are required, fisherman hope that proceeds from their sales will be used for conservation purposes.
"The only concern everyone has is where do the revenues go?" Mola said. "We would pay triple that if the money went back to conservation or fisheries."
Hour Reporter Chase Wright contributed to this story
__________________
Posted on 06/15/2009
NORWALK
By ROBERT KOCH
Hour Staff Writer
Saltwater fishing licenses will not be required "unless and until" Gov. M. Jodi Rell signs the bill calling for their enactment, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection.
"The bill has not technically reached the governor's desk yet, and when it does, she will have 15 days to signs it. If she does sign it, it would take effect upon passage," DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said Monday. "The bill does not become law unless and until the governor signs it."
"We're waiting now to see if we get the green light," Schain added.
Rell's office on Monday declined to comment on the bill until "Rell has had a chance to review it."
The DEP had made the licenses available online but yanked them Friday afternoon. Schain said a message was sent to all licensed retailers and town clerks, advising them that the department was "ending availability of marine license and that the license was not required and would not be for sale unless Rell signs bill."
By the time the DEP yanked the licenses, 132 licenses had been sold at Fisherman's World, a bait-and-tackle shop off Liberty Square, according to owner Rick Mola. Several licenses had been sold in the Town Clerk office at City Hall. The cost of the licenses would be $10 for Connecticut residents and $15 for non-residents.
The issuance and sudden halt has caused confusion for town clerks and for retailers such as Mola.
"I've never heard of such a thing -- the DEP going and issuing licenses without the governor signing off on it," Mola said.
Norwalk Town Clerk Andrew S. Garfunkel said e-mails have been circulating among town clerks in Connecticut concerning the marine fishing licenses.
"None of us know what the heck is going on. ... We're fishing for answers," Garfunkel joked.
Garfunkel, Mola and others had expected the licenses to be mandatory on Monday, based upon earlier correspondence sent to town clerks. If and when the licenses are required, fisherman hope that proceeds from their sales will be used for conservation purposes.
"The only concern everyone has is where do the revenues go?" Mola said. "We would pay triple that if the money went back to conservation or fisheries."
Hour Reporter Chase Wright contributed to this story
__________________
