If you are a saltwater angler, your sport is about to get more complicated and expensive. But not as expensive as it might have been.

NOAA has announced that it will be charging saltwater anglers $15 for registering with its new National Saltwater Angler Registry. That will be required of most saltwater anglers and for those in freshwater who fish for anadromous species, such as striped bass and shad that live in saltwater but run upstream into freshwater to spawn.

Virginia saltwater angers won’t have to pay the $15 federal fee because the Virginia Marine Resources Commission has established its own registry that meets federal requirements at a lesser cost. It is called the Fisherman Identification Program, or FIP.

It works this way: When a saltwater angler buys his fishing license certain information will be collected and the angler automatically will be registered.

Many anglers who aren’t required to purchase a license, such as seniors, still must register, but under Virginia’s FIP program there is no charge. You can register online or by calling toll-free 800-723-2728. VMRC prefers you register online because that will keep expenses down. But hold on for a few days. The equipment isn’t scheduled to be in operation until Jan. 1, according to John Bull, the agency’s director of public relations.

While VMRC officials are using the word “free” in conjunction with FIP, in reality the system is being paid for by a license increase. The basic resident saltwater license will go form $12.50 to $17.50 beginning Jan. 1. There also is a $5 increase in the resident 10-day trip license and the combination freshwater/saltwater license. The boat license, which covers everyone on a craft, advances by $10, which will put it at $48.

All this is less expensive than the $15 federal fee, and it means the money is kept in Virginia rather than sent to the feds who have authority to increase their fee to $25. Bull is hopeful that some of the license increase will be left over for other programs once the registration process is paid for, but at this point it is difficult to determine what FIP will cost.

Bull promises “it will only take a minute or two” to register. You will be asked to provide your name, phone number, address, e-mail address, date of birth and where, in general, you go fishing.

How can this information, collected at great expense, be beneficial to fishing? It gives fisheries managers what they are calling a “phone book” of all recreational saltwater angers, Bull said, and that will provide better data on how many people are fishing and how that is impacting the fish stock. The information goes to the National Marine Fisheries Services.

“Bottom line: this registration program will help us to ensure fish are out there to catch when you, your children or grandchildren go fishing,” Bull said.

Here are some frequently asked questions:

Q. Because seniors aren’t required to buy a saltwater license, do they have to register with FIP?

A. Yes, seniors must register. Those who aren’t required to register include anglers under age 16, lifetime license holders and paying customers on licensed charter or head boats.

Q. I fish with a friend who has a boat license that covers everyone aboard. Do I still need to register with FIP?

A. Yes, you need a FIP number. You also need one if you fish from a commercial pier or private property. Click here for complete list of exemptions.

Q. Is this a one-time thing or must I register every year?

A. Every year.

Q. Do I get a card with my FIP number on it?

A. No. You can print the final form when you register online or just write down your number if you register by phone. Carry it with you when you go fishing.

Q. Can I register for my wife or someone else?

A. Yes. As long as you have the information required.

Q. My saltwater license doesn’t expire until well into the New Year. Will I need to register before the license expires?

A. VMRC says no. “If you have a valid license, don’t worry about it,” says John Bull. “We’ll add you to the phone book when you renew your license in 2011.”

http://www.roanoke.com/outdoors/billcochran/wb/270849