National fishing license? Good or bad?

[goldspoon]

A friend and i were debating about there being a national fishing license.
There is currently no national license that you can buy to fish in all 50 states.
we all know that each state uses it's license funds for it's own stocking, wardens,and conservation.
If a national license was offered how many of you would purchase one at say a additional $70 annually?
My opinion is that these "Extra funds" would then be divided between all fifty states. Some states would receive revenue and never even see that out of state angler fishing in there state.
With fishing license fees being $50 or more for Non residents, would this be well worth it for those of you that fish more than one state?

[bfish]

National License will never happen. Currently Wallop-Breaux monies are divided based on the number license sales in each state. By combining license sales, states will have budget's redistributed. Also a National license would potentially allow other interest (birdwatchers or hikers or walking path groups) access to Wallop-Breaux monies, reducing the amount available to resource agencies.

More info W-B: https://www.tn.gov/twra/article/federal-aid-projects and
https://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/fasport.html

[fishfindergeneral]

Horrible idea, some states misappropriate funds and give their D and R a pittance of a budget. Other states like ours fund entirely through the licenses. If you want Tennessee to remain some of the top fisheries in the nation, we'll need to keep the revenue raised here, in the TWRA, not in Indiana's food stamp program.

[TNBronzeback]

On paper its not a horrible idea, but different states fisheries vary so widely some would just naturally need more funding than others, while other states would see a surplus. There just wouldnt be any way to properly regulate who NEEDS X versus who WANTS X.
I know alot of guys knock the TWRA pretty badly but i think as a whole, they do a pretty good job with fish and wildlife.

[tkwalker]

Like previously mentioned, this would be a very inequitable move as a whole for the sportsmen at large. The distribution of funds should be as a ratio based on the sporting populous of each state but since most States Wildlife Departments are exactly that "A Department" No telling where and to whom the monies would go, Like all Governments, this turns into Bureaucracies.

The TWRA is not a Department therefore it is not a Bureaucracy controlled by politicians ... TWRA is an Agency, not a Department ... The money is controlled by the Agency and is fed back into the States Wildlife and fisheries resources for all Tennessee Hunters and Fishermen to enjoy.

The ramifications of a National License would destroy the Sport of Hunting and Fishing as we know it.. Sporting License should be left up to all 50 Sovereign states. We don't need another Bureaucracy of the Federal Government dictating control of every states Wildlife resources. <'TK><:)