Why are we as fisherman so worried about how many participate in the activity or how great license sales are? I will buy a fishing license every year until I die, I know this because I am a fishing addict, but I really don't care how many others are. In fact, I see it as there loss that they are missing out on such a wonderful recreation, but then again, they hate it.
I can understand the issue with lower license sales which equals decrease revenue for the commission and programs to benefit habitit improvement, stockings, etc. With the loss in revenue, however, comes less crowded waters and a reduction in stockings which in many PA waters may be a benefit. Doesn't it all kind of counter balance? I can understand that many buy licenses and then fish very little, so we are consuming extra revenue from them and they not realy attributing to a crowding of fishing locations. Any loss in work or projects due to less revenue from license sales could in turn be picked up by private organizations that are full of fishing addicts like myself. Not to bash the PFBC, but generally when the government is involved in just about ANYTHING there is a gross mismanagement of money and private organizations and groups could impart a greater level of productivity given the same numbers of dollars spent. Sure, those groups would not have an easy fundraising technique such as selling fishing licenses, but there are plenty of good ways to raise money and make positive changes.
