Fishing Licensing Exams?

[woolyworm]

I must say, I found something about this thread fundamentally disturbing. I agree with what OldTimer said... I don't want more government breathing down my neck, and making me pay more for fishing... I say ABSOLUTELY NOT to a fishing license test. The reason we have license tests for driving a car and hunting is for our own and others safety. If you go down the slippery slope to introduce licenses for conservation education, where would it end? Would I need a license to go for a hike in the woods?!

Be careful about the "user fee" mentality... it's a trick the government uses to get you to pay more taxes without going through the proper way of increasing taxes. I'm not so sure I trust the government to use the funds they raise through user fees for the intended purpose. They seem to use it as an excuse to reduce funding for something because the user fees are supposed to pay for it.

I don't think that the fines for breaking the regulations are trivial; perhaps they once were, but there has been some pretty serious fines dished out lately. The regs are complicated and getting more so, and I'm not sure I want anyone to suffer jail time just for making a mistake when they are out trying to enjoy the outdoors.

Also, more regulations won't help anything... the key is enforcement of existing regs. Adding more regs will more than likely discourage people from becoming involved in fishing. What makes you think that having a test will result in better adherence to the regulations?

I think it is silly to blame immigrants for fishing problems... almost all of us *are* immigrants (or descendants of immigrants). Complaining about immigrants just seems racist to me.

Do you really think it is that bad??? I really find it hard to complain about the state of fishing in Ontario when within minutes of my house I can fish for many different species of fish and expect to get good catches virtually every time I go out.

If any of you guys are serious about being fishing ambassadors, then I suggest that you quit wining and start leading by example and put forward a positive image. Get involved and educate fellow anglers. Become a big brother and take a kid fishing. Set a good example by organizing clean-ups. Join a local chapter of trout unlimited or some other fishing organization. Complaining about how bad things are will only lead to fishing being shut down... it's playing into the hands of the antis.

If you must focus on a "bad guy" then look don't target fellow fisherpeople... go after the real threats to fish populations. The reality is that urbanization, commercial fishing, habitat destruction, pollution and introduction of invasive species are a much bigger threat to native fish populations than any amount of angling.

I'll get off my soap box now... ;-)