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Logic please? Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission proposes youth fishing license

Sometimes, I just don’t understand the logic of others.  Here’s the deal.  The PFBC has proposed a youth fishing license.

Here’s the logic being used by the PFBC.  Youth aren’t getting into fishing.  So, let’s now make them buy a license to fish.

Yes, they are only proposing a $5 cost but I can’t see how a charge will encourage more youth fishing.  Here’s an excerpt from an article in the Courier-Express.

The Fish and Boat Commission is projecting about $2 million a year will be generated from the license. That money would be used to promote fishing and boating safety and education, urban education programs, instruction and classroom materials, environmental awareness and education and to buy equipment that fishing and sporting clubs could lend to youth who can not afford to buy their own. Pennsylvania would join the 20 other states that have youth fishing licenses.

Charging kids to fish in order to generate money to market fishing to kids doesn’t make sense to me, and I just don’t think it will work as expected.  Please offer the evidence that such a technique works in other states.  Without that evidence, I don’t think there is enough in this program to show that charging kids to fish will significantly improve interest in fishing by our youngest generation. 

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Posted: July 16th, 2008 under PA Fishing.
Comments: 1

Comments

Comment from PA-Smallies
Time: July 16, 2008, 12:21 pm

Chris,
First, I want to say as far as fisheries management the PFBC does a really nice job. If you’ve done any traveling and fishing, as I know you have, then you can really appreciate what we have here int PA.

That being said, I am adamantly apposed to licenses for youth fisherman. It makes not sense to me. You raise 2 million ( if memory serves me right that figure includes the federal matching funds that pa would receive) My question is, how much of the money will really be spent at the grass roots level? You will need staff to monitor the programs, office space, salaries, verhicles, etc. etc. There is no way the would implement these programs without some type of overhead costs.

How do we increase participation? Here’s a good example. A local sportsmens club in my area does a “field day” every year. Over 200 youth are exposed in a hands on way to archer, shooting, and fishing. It is extremely well attended and the club seeks funding from private individuals and business that have a vested interest in outdoor sports. 100% of this support makes it way to the kids because it is a grass roots volunteer effort. These kids not only get a day in the filed but they leave with some very nice outdoor gear for fishing and hunting. Fishing rods, game calls, sleeping bags are just a few examples.

The fish commissions time and money may be best spent making alliances with these organizations and duplicating these great programs. Acting in more of a consulting fashion rather than implementing the programs themselves. Yes, still money/saff time but probably a lot less overhead and possibly could be done by re-structuring or re-tooling current positions or programs.

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