Governor Edwards signs legislation increasing the cost of annual recreational and commercial hunting and fishing licenses starting next July.
Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala said he had to bring this legislation because the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries was running out of money and we hadn’t raised fees in decades.
“I think it is a fiscally responsible bill we don’t want to start having to put more and more of the state general fund dollars towards a system that has traditionally been user paid,” said Bacala.
The fee increases are expected to generate about 17 million dollars a year in the next fiscal year, rising to 19 million a year in future years.
The proposal was opposed by commercial fishermen who say they’ve already taken a beating from the pandemic, but Bacala said their fee increase will be phased in through 2024 and is not steep.
“Even the average commercial fisherman is only going to pay a few hundred dollars and we’ve combined some of their licenses as well so they get more for their dollar,” said Bacala.
LDWF officials said two-thirds of recreational sportsmen will only see their yearly costs go up about ten dollars, and Bacala said with that increase in cost will come more consolidated licenses.
“Now if you are a deer hunter and you go buy your license you get the primitive weapons, the archery, all that all in one package,” said Bacala.
The cost of a basic fishing license will go from $9 to $17. But the license will last for 365 days, instead of expiring on June 30th every year.
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