Sag Harbor - Trustees from four of the five East End towns united in protest against a new New York State regulation requiring salt water fishermen to acquire a license to fish in the waters surrounding Long Island.

Led by New York State Senator Ken LaValle (R- Port Jefferson) and Assemblyman Fred Thiele (R- Sag Harbor), the trustees called for the repeal of the law that will go into effect on Oct. 1, at a press conference held in historic whaling village of Sag Harbor Friday morning.

New York State Senator Ken LaValle ( R-Port Jefferson) confers with Assembly Fred Thiele (R- Sag Harbor) before a press conference protesting a newly enacted state law requiring salt water fishermen to secure a license to fish.

Describing their protest as an "historic first," the trustees from East Hampton, Southold and Shelter Island joined Southampton Town Trustees in their battle to repeal the regulation, noting the state requirement violated the Dongan Patent which dates back to 1686 establishing the Trustees as the oldest governing bodies to safeguard access to waterways, securing citizens the right to go fishing, hawking and hunting free of government restraints.

Speaking from the podium at the Sag Harbor Village Hall Southampton Town Trustee Eric Shultz vowed to protest the law if LaValle and Thiele's efforts to repeal the regulation are not successful. "We are exploring all our options," Shultz said.

"This was slipped into the budget when it should have been submitted as a free standing piece of legislation," Thiele asserted, noting both he and LaValle voted against the line item on the state budget. The state expects to generate $3 million in revenue by charging recreational fishermen the newly enacted license fee. The revenue is expected to be deposited into the state's conservation fund rather than be funneled directly to the downstate region.

"We have no guarantee that any of this money will benefit the recreational fisherman," Thiele said, noting the money would most likely be used to pay salaries for staffers at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). The shortfall in the state budget has Governor David Paterson scrambling for ways to raise money turning towards increasing licensing fees for several activities including sport fishing as a means of closing the budget gap.

In a united front, Trustees from East Hampton, Southold and Shelter Island also protested the regulation.

"The Governor has supported $13 billion in additional spending," Thiele noted, adding, "it's the wrong thing to do."

Town Trustees from all four participating towns were said their already short staffed offices would be hard pressed to cope with the expense and staffing needed to issue the salt water fishing licenses which are also to be made available at bait and tackle shops. The task of administering fishing fees was not well received by Kenneth Morse, the proprietor of Tight Lines Tackle Inc. in Sag Harbor. "I don't want to work for the state selling fishing licenses for them," Morse commented.

The DEC has not finalized details concerning the issuance and enforcement of the new regulation which sets the annual fee for residents at $10 and non-residents at $15 annually. The fee schedule allows fishermen to purchase seven day permits for $8 if they are town residents. Non-residents will be able to buy a weekly permit for $10. A day permit will cost $4. Both residents and non-residents can obtain a lifetime combination freshwater and marine fishing license for $450. A lifetime marine fishing license is $150 for both residents and non-residents.

Thiele noted the expense of implementing the statewide requirement could exceed the $3 million in potential revenue it is anticipated to generate for the state.

"We are going to have to make cutbacks in staff in Southold," Trustee Jill Doherty said, " so I don't know how we are going to implement this." To make matters worse, Southold town residents were hit with a 14.95 percent property tax increase in 2009 to cope with the skyrocketing costs of running their government and funding their school districts.

Southampton Town Trustees Eric Schulz, Ed Warner, Jr. and Brian Tymann emerged as leaders of the protest objecting to the license fee enacted as part of the state's budget rather than free standing legislation. Thiele joined in seeking repeal of the measure after the Trustees vowed to indemnify its citizens and protect their rights to fish in town waters.

The federal government has advocated the registration of saltwater sport fisherman as part of a nationwide effort to gather data concerning the fish populations in the waters off both the east and west coasts. The data will be used to aid the National Marine Fisheries Council with establishing opening and closing dates for fishing seasons as well as regulate the catch that fishermen can take from the waters under their jurisdiction. To date the federal regulations do not require licensing as a means to implement their program.

"I support the registry," Southampton Town Trustee Edward Warner said, 'but I object to the fee. We can gather information without charging people for a license." Warner, along with the rest of the Southampton Town Trustees, is both a professional and recreational fisherman.

"I am a fisherman," Trustee Fred Havemeyer said. "My son is a fisherman and so is my daughter."

LaValle, speaking as a grandpa rather than a legislator, brought home the importance of the simply joy of being able to cast a line in the water and catch a fish without the added burden of a fishing license. "Everyone wants to be able to take their grandchildren out fishing," LaValle said. "It is one of the least expensive forms of recreation that a family can do together."

"I was going to get up here and talk about how I went out fishing in the bay in a 14-foot aluminum rowboat with my grandfather," Southold Town Trustee Dave Bergen said, " but Ken LaValle trumped me on that."

LaValle and Thiele vowed to force a vote on the repeal before Oct. 1 while Southampton's Shultz, Havemeyer, Warner and Tymann, the gang of four, minus Trustee President Jon Semlear who could not be present, remained firm in their defiance against the state.

"This is an historic moment. We come together to protect 365 years of stewardship," Schulz said. "The Governor's action has galvanized the need to preserve home rule. With unity there is strength and respect, we owe this to our constituents."

"What's next," Havemeyer said, " swimming licenses?" "Don't give the Governor any ideas," Thiele retorted.