Sport Fishing Licenses Available at New Locations on the Coast

     Annapolis, Md. -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources recently set up nine new fishing license locations to serve anglers who fish Maryland’s Coastal Bays and ocean waters.
     “Five tackle shops in Ocean City, two in Berlin, one in Selbyville and one on Fenwick Island have stepped forward to serve their customers with fishing licenses,” said DNR Fisheries Director Tom O’Connell.
     Until this year, Maryland did not require tidal fishing licenses for recreational fishing around Ocean City and the coastal bays. A new Federal Saltwater Angler Registry requirement instituted in 2010 by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requires that all recreational anglers fishing in tidal waters in the United States be included or specifically accounted for in a national saltwater angler phone book. The purpose of the registry is to enable NOAA to survey anglers and improve harvest estimates.
     In order to comply with the federal requirement, the 2011 Maryland General Assembly changed recreational licensing requirements to include coastal anglers. Anglers who possess a Maryland tidal fishing license are automatically registered in the National Saltwater Angler Registry. Anglers younger than 16 years old and anglers fishing on a licensed charter boat or a licensed commercial fishing pier do not need to be registered or licensed.
     “This will make Maryland’s excellent coastal fishing even more accessible while helping fisheries managers obtain the data needed to ensure sustainable fishing opportunities,” said DNR Fisheries Deputy Director Gina Hunt.
     These new Maryland fishing license agents join the Walmart in Berlin and the DNR Service Center in Salisbury as sources for fishing licenses on the coast:
Oyster Bay Bait & Tackle, Ocean City - 116th St
Skip’s Bait & Tackle, Ocean City - 210 Talbot St by the Rt 50 Bridge
Oceanic Pier, Ocean City - 710 S Philadelphia Ave at the Inlet by the Boardwalk
AllTackle, Ocean City - 12826 Ocean Gateway on the other side of the Rt 50 Bridge
John Henry’s Bait & Tackle, 12507 Sunset Ave #15 Ocean City
Captain Mac’s Bait & Tackle, Selbyville, Del.
Frontiertown, Berlin
Sharky’s Market, Berlin
Fenwick Island Tackle, Fenwick Island, Del.