MA Lobster Lic

[mmerriman]

Just tried to renew my license online and the website wouldn't process due to some error. Note that on Mass.gov they say: •For assistance using MassFishHunt or questions about payments, please call:
1-888-773-8450 , however the company they outsourced this to is not yet up and running - typical.

Also - they have changed the permit # you need to mark your gear and tank with.

Finally they tell us to go to www.massfishhunt.com - which doesn't exist.

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Ditto!!! I tried calling the office but they must be closed because of the storm.

For assistance with rules and regulations pertaining to recreational lobstering or saltwater fishing, please visit our Recreational Regulations page, email us, or call:
Boston: 617-626-1520
Gloucester: 978-282-0308 ext. 150
New Bedford: 508-990-2860 ext. 150

[David Sutton]

Did you guys notice where said cars also need to be marked

[Mr. Nice Guy]

Did you guys notice where said cars also need to be marked

aah right next to the new lobster sticker we need to put on the windshield?

Are you joking?

[AttitudeAdjuster]

"All bouys, pots, traps, cars, dive markers and air tanks must be marked with the license's 5-digit permit number."
Pat B

[SteveAD]

Looks like they're getting a bit carried away. Glad I don't care about lobstering.

[ScubaSarus]

And no one's mentioned the lobster tattoo.

[AttitudeAdjuster]

Just one more reason not to shore dive.:clapping:
Pat B

[porgyhunter]

You also must ''carve'' your 5 digit into each keeper you keep on your person :dontknow:

[sink-er-swim]

I just got my renewal papers in the mail the other day. Why all the changes?

[augk]

This is the link I use
Department of Fish & Game - Licensing (http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/licensing/index.htm)
which has a link to this.

https://www.ma.wildlifelicense.com/Customer/InternetCustomerSearch

regs
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/publications/dmf_recreational_lobster_crab_guide.pdf

[augk]

Did you guys notice where said cars also need to be marked

It is a different kind of car :

A lobster car is a mostly submerged, enclosed pen to hold lobsters in seawater. Co-ops and commercial buyers will assemble the catch from numbers of individual fisherman in a car before shipping to market. Cars are constructed from wood and, these days,vinyl-coated wire mesh with some floatation from plastic foam or barrels. A typical car might be about twenty feet square and four feet deep, divided into several compartments each able to hold hundreds of lobsters.

Read more: Answers.com - What is a lobster car (http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_lobster_car#ixzz1AtF8zl4R)

[ScubaSarus]

Oh, I thought this was a lobster car.

Lobster car WV.,Automobiles, , Clean Funny Pictures, photos by TENSIONNOT.COM (http://www.tensionnot.com/Automobiles581.html)

[Twosocks]

I just spoke to an EPO Lt about the new permit number issue. He was unaware that the sytem was changing the numbers and understood the ramifications of everyone having to get a new flag and renumber their tanks. This will also affect recreational guys using 10 pots as they will have to renumber all of their buoys and pots. He was going to bring it up to the Commissioners office and let me know what he finds out. He felt that they clearly did not consider all of this when they bid the license system out to contract.

[mmerriman]

I had a nice conversation with someone at the DMF today. We got the permit sorted out and he informed that much was poorly written, most notably that the requirement to mark and "N" preceeding the permit number is for traps and buoys only. Note that all available published regulations are for last year and don't reflect any of this stuff, so it will interesting when it somes to enforcement. Also - they sent out an email announcement correcting the website error.

[mmerriman]

Nice the PDF is dated 2011 unlike the one posted on the DMF site yesterday which was from last year...

[Twosocks]

Ok, here's the deal: There was supposedly a complaint from someone a few year ago about the possibility of identity theft from using the last 4 of their ssn. So, in keeping with the Commonwealths plans in all areas to stop using ssn for id, they also changed these numbers. They basically said we should just suck it up, as they made this change last year with the commercial fleet and some of those guys had to re-mark 800+ pieces of gear.
It wasn't an oversight and we are stuck with it.

[porgyhunter]

Can't you just say you didn't know, Like when you have a bag full of smalls? :dontknow:

[mmerriman]

absolutely - and if you happen to not speak english, they let you off easy
Men fined for collecting short lobsters Local News SalemNews.com, Salem, MA (http://www.salemnews.com/local/x419262474/Men-fined-for-collecting-short-lobsters)

[bobby-in-mass]

inside of divers bottom lip must be tattooed with your 32 digit permit number:D