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We are pleased to announce HB 5093 was introduced today in the Michigan House of Representatives to restructure fishing licenses which will include a $5 hatchery stamp to run unlimited rods in the Great Lakes when trolling from a boat.  Here is the background and details.  We need all anglers to contact their House and Senate Reps to support House Bill 5093 with the new hatchery stamp. 

1. The DNR Fisheries Division has not had increased funding since 2014.
2. Inflation coupled with the legal requirement for the Fisheries Division to maintain a balanced budget, has forced a number of cuts to personnel, field offices, research, and asset maintenance.
3. The Fisheries Division is facing a budget deficit that will require more program cuts in the future and would result in hatchery production and stocking cuts.
4. In 2013, the Fisheries Division received 80% of fishing license revenue. When the all species fishing license was reduced from $28 to $26 in 2014, only 55% of fishing license revenue went to the Fisheries Division for fisheries programs. The remaining 45% goes to other non-fisheries uses within the DNR.
5. When senior licenses were discounted to $11 in 2014, the loss of $3 million in revenue to the Fisheries Division was supposed to be back filled from the State of Michigan general fund. This funding has not been provided back to the Fisheries Division. There was a total loss of $30 million for the Fisheries Division in the 10 years since this was enacted.
6. Legislation to substantially increase fishing and hunting license rates did not gain support to proceed and failed in December 2024. There was significant opposition due to the proposed cost of license increases.

GLSI joins other concerned anglers to solve this problem. 
1. A group of concerned fishery stakeholders from across the State of Michigan, representing fishing organizations, charter and marine businesses and recreational anglers came together in January 2025 to create a new proposal to restructure fishing licenses to support fisheries, restore program cuts, avoid stocking reductions, and ensure transparency and trust for anglers.
2. The proposal has been introduced today into the State Legislature as House Bill 5093. A key part of this is allocating more revenue from fishing licenses to the Fisheries Division. This allows for very small license fee increases of only $2 for species not stocked by hatcheries.
3. Another key part of this proposal is improving opportunities for inland and Great Lakes anglers. This is done through a $5 hatchery stamp that would be required to fish for species produced and stocked by the DNR. It will allow Great Lakes anglers to troll in boats for salmon, trout, and walleyes to use additional rods to optimize their trolling pattern. Creel limits will protect the resource from over-harvest. This concept has broad support from Great Lakes fishing organizations which include:

• Michigan Charter Boat Association
• State Board of Directors for the Michigan Salmon and Steelhead Fishing Association
• Great Lakes Salmon Initiative
• Northwest Michigan Fishing Club
• Detroit Steelheaders
• Eastern Michigan Sportsman
• Ludington Charter Boat Association
• Hammond Bay Area Anglers Association
• Arenac County Walleye Club
• Bay De Noc Great Lakes Sportfisherman
• Battle Creek Chapter of MSSFA
• Bluewater Sport Fishing Association
• Isle Royal Boaters Association
• Manistique Area Sportfishing Club
• Muskegon Charter Boat Association
• Thunder Bay Chapter of MSSFA
• Copper County Walleye Association
• Michigan Spearfishing Association
• Grand Haven Chapter of MSSFA
• Hoosier Coho Club
• Grand Rapids Chapter of MSSFA
• South Haven Chapter of MSSFA
• Holland Chapter of MSSFA
• Thumb Area Charter Boat Association
• Great Lakes Bay Region MSSFA
• Pentwater Sportfishing Association
• Manistee County Sportfishing Association
• Southwest Michigan Chapter of MSSFA
• Michigan Muskie Alliance
• Michigan Boating Industry Association

4. The hatchery stamp will improve opportunities for inland anglers with increased walleye production, adding 1 million walleyes for inland stocking, 25,000 more muskies and increasing the number of inland trout stocking sites.
5. With the increased funding from our proposal, the DNR will be able to expand inland lake and river surveys to better understand fish populations and how to manage them. Most of our inland lakes, like Houghton Lake, have not been surveyed in many years. This information is critical for stocking plans, habitat improvements and regulation changes like slot limits to increase natural reproduction of fish to improve inland lake and river fisheries.
6. Michigan’s outstanding fisheries relies on research and stocking programs by the DNR to sustain them. Fish stocking is critical to maintain salmon and trout fisheries in the Great Lakes. Ongoing research and data collection such as creel counts, charter reporting, fish population studies and forage surveys are required to properly manage and sustain inland and Great Lakes fisheries. This legislation proposed by stakeholders will prevent future program cuts and prevent degradation of hatcheries and facilities. It will rectify the budget deficits facing the DNR Fisheries Division.
6. The bill establishes a $5 youth fishing license.  Youth will be able to catch and release fish without this license.  It would only be required for youth to keep up to a limit of fish on the Great Lakes and to keep fish in inland waters after age 12 (youth can keep fish in inland waters without this license up to age 12.)  The age requirement to need a regular fishing licenses will be set to 16.  With this change, The Fisheries Division will get an additional $10 per youth license sold from the Federal Government Dingell-Johnson act.
7. Senior licenses would increase by $2 starting in 2027.
8. The bill provides for license fees to increase by no more than the rate of inflation or no more than 2% annually pending approval from a stakeholder fishery oversight committee. The Fisheries Oversight Committee —comprised of representatives from across the state, including charter boat captains, inland lake and river fishing guides, recreational anglers, and citizen members—will ensure broad and ongoing stakeholder engagement in how Fisheries Division funding is managed. The FOC is formally tasked with reviewing annual revenue and expenditure reports, evaluating proposed budgets and work plans, and making recommendations to the Fisheries Division and Legislature. This structure ensures that future financial decisions reflect the diverse needs of Michigan’s angling community and are made transparently, responsibly, and free from undue political pressure. Any future fee increases will need an approval recommendation from the Fisheries Oversight Committee to ensure trust and transparency that fee increases are justified. This guarantees the DNR Fisheries Division can fulfill its mission to manage and enhance Michigan’s fishing resources for decades to come and not face another budget crisis and programs cuts which is occurring today.
9. Continue reintroduction efforts of arctic grayling and sturgeon restoration.
10. This bill will fund increased cormorant control which have proven to improve fisheries. Managing cormorant populations is supported by and improves fishing for both inland and Great Lakes anglers. It will reduce Cormorant predation on fish by over 500,000 pounds per year.

Ancillary Benefits
Sport fishing in Michigan generates over 4 billion in economic activity. Robust fisheries support thousands of small businesses in Michigan. They draw anglers from all over the state and Midwest to spend money at hotels and motels, tackle shops, marinas, gas stations, charter boats and guide services and fishing lodges. Strong recreational fisheries are critical for business survival in remote locations in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan. Supporting House Bill 5093 is good for anglers and good for businesses that cater to anglers.

There is a lot to this bill and we expect some parts will be changed as it goes through the legislature. We want to let our State House Reps and Senators know that we want House Bill 5093 with the hatchery stamp and the many benefits it provides anglers in conjunction with these fee increases.   We will send more info on contacting legislators in the next few days.  


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