njdiver and dark posted some comments in another thread and I didn't want to hijack it.

Quote Originally Posted by DarkSkies View Post
The only thing I might suggest be added to that:

11. We're going to have to find a way to include non-citizens and aliens as subject to law enforcement and penalties for fisheries violations. I realize to implement this would be difficult.

(But let's fast forward to situations that could develop when DFG officers start to check for licenses in the field and start giving tickets to guys who don't have them.) If the guys receiving penalties see that those without papers are getting away with non-compliance or poaching simply because it's too difficult to enforce, you invite a whole host of problems and resentments amongst these groups.




This is something that really irritates me and I wondered what you folks out there thought of it.

I don't mind the NJ SW license if they do what they say they will.
I don't mind being stopped or checked by the DFG or Coasties as long as they are doing a random selection and not targeting any particular group. I feel the same way when going through airport security checks, it's what we put up to live in a safe society.
I don't mind being asked about my catches as long as they are asking everyone who fishes.

What I do mind is it appears there will be 2 different standards. Citizens have to comply, illegal immigrants and non-citizens to not. This is patently unfair and I have a major beef with it.

They said one of the reasons for the registry is to count the fish. Buying into that argument, how can they estimate all the fish being caught if they are not counting immigrants catches? Why is it fair that I am subject to the laws, and they are not.

Dark brought up a very good point. What should be done about this? How will you feel if out fishing obeying the law and their are immigrants keeping shorts and the officers say to you "sorry I cannot do anything about those guys, we were told to leave them alone"