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The Commission's youth fishing license proposal would create a new license category–the junior fishing license–to support new angler education programs specifically
targeted at youth. This concept is not new. A $2 junior fishing license category was
part of the original House Bill 2155, introduced in November 2003, but the category was
amended out by the time the bill was signed into law in December 2004. In May 1977, Commission
Executive Director Ralph Abele proposed a $3 youth license, and a $2 youth license in
1973. The Governor’s
Youth Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation has taken a strong stance in support
of the current junior fishing license concept.
 
.
Reaching out to youth
Revenue from a junior license would be dedicated
to new and expanding youth programs and initiatives, for example:
- Grants to clubs and organizations using best practices in youth programs.
- Training workshops to
teach skills and best practices to youth leaders.
- Purchase of equipment and
materials for youth angling education programs.
- Development of materials for
youth club use and support for implementation.
- Special youth-oriented events.
Key points
 Revenue from the junior fishing license must be dedicated to youth
programs and initiatives.- Revenue from the junior fishing license will be
used for new programs, not current PFBC programs or activities.
- Law enforcement
will treat encounters between officers and youth as an opportunity to inform
instead of punish.
- Administration of the license must allow for license sales
in quantity to clubs, organizations and others who are interested in sponsoring
youth.
- The junior fishing license should be inexpensive and for older anglers
(that is, ages 12 to 15–and
age and fee to be evaluated).
Scenario
The junior license concept proposes a $5 junior license
fee. The PFBC receives Sport Fish
Restoration (SFR) funds based in part on the
number of licenses sold in the state -
approximately $3 per license sale.
That means the Commission could receive $8
per junior fishing license sold.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
Service, an estimated 272,000 PA youth (ages 12 to 15) fished in 2000.
The Commission estimates that the number
of Pennsylvania youth ages 12-15 fishing each
year could be 260,000 over next 10 years.
If each of these youth
purchased a $5 license, simple math shows that
an estimate of the potential revenue from the
new license could be as much as $2.1 million per
year. This is an estimate of the
potential, not a sales prediction.
Will the cost keep kids from fishing?
We don’t think it will. Compare the proposed fee to the
costs for entertainment youth this age currently pay:
| New music CD: $13 |
|
Fast food value meal: $6 |
| DVD/video game rental: $6 |
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Video or computer game: $39 |
| Subscription to a teen magazine: $20 |
|
Movie ticket: $6.50 |
| Daily admission to amusement park: $15-$42+ |
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The PFBC will work to include the opportunity
for clubs and organizations to ‘sponsor’ or
make bulk purchases of these licenses. This will enable others to purchase licenses
for youth.
Just the facts
- Thirteen states require fishing licenses for
their youth anglers (various age requirements). The average cost of a junior
fishing license nationwide is $12.16 (license only, no other permits included).
 The
cost of a fishing license is rarely a negative value for active or inactive anglers.
License fee increases may explain short-term decreases in fishing participation,
but they do not appear to affect long-term trends (Responsive Management, 1995).
- More than one-third of hunters,
anglers and boaters did not know that hunting and fishing licenses were a source
of revenue for fish and wildlife management programs and the enhancement of hunting
and fishing opportunities (Responsive Management, 1991).
- Most commonly, youth overall said that they don’t
fish or that they don’t fish more
often because of time constraints (Responsive Management, 2003).
- As early teens,
young people become aware of the world around them and their relationship to
it. The most appropriate time to foster ethical concern for animals and an understanding
of ecology appears to be between 8th grade and 11th grade (approx. 13 to 18 years
old) (Kellert, 1984).
Enforcement efforts
Commission would direct WCOs to use
the encounter with unlicensed youth as an opportunity to inform instead of punish.
As part of this process, they will make the parent and youth aware of the benefits
of the license purchase, provide information on how to obtain one, and explain
that this license revenue is used solely for youth programs. Officers could direct
parents to those organizations sponsoring licenses, should that provision be
included. However, provisions would also be in place to ensure that chronic violators
don’t
abuse this process. |
