Creating funding for the needed MOI Reform

[Mike King]

Many may not know it but The Sport fishing industry has been taxed for years. Every hook, Lure, fishing pole, reel, line and sinker has an added tax that is paid for at the manufactures or importer level. These taxes are all put into a general fund and divided up between the states and territories. These funds go for fisheries improvement, related educational programs, and promotion of sports fishing. Every time a hook is purchased a small percentage of this built in tax goes to into the fisheries fund. This tax has created millions every year for many programs like Lamprey control in the Great Lakes, artificial fishing reefs in Florida, trout stream restoration, and many other habitat protection and improvement projects that involve the fisheries in the USA.

What about creating such a tax for the Marine Ornamental Industry (MOI)?

This may be the best way to provide the cash needed to fund the reforming of the industry and could also be very beneficial in the education of the hobbyist.

Your thoughts on this?

Mike King

 

[kylen]

Mike,

What a radical socialist Canadian thought...a tax. I already posed this idea to not much fanfare. IMHO, it appears that most (and no I'm not pointing fingers) would rather have others pay for this reform. I am in full agreement for a tax or surcharge. We have enviro-taxes in Canada on most items like tires, batteries, paint, etc that have particular requirements for recycling and can impact the environment.

Someone is going to have to pay for this at some point. Grants cannot be relied upon forevermore.

 

[MaryHM]

This is an idea that I posed to the USCRTF in a letter to them back in 2000. It would be easy to implement, as it could be added to the fees already paid to USFW for each shipment entering the country.

 

[Mike King]

It's no new Idea,
The government has been taxing the sportfishing industry for years now. At the 1999 CRTF meeting in St.Croix I talked to several CRTF members about this and the possabilities that it would create. I have now talked to some of those people involved in foundation that this tax created, and from what I understand so far is that it was the industry itself that asked for the tax. The sports fishing industry realized that such a tax would actually be benificial by suppling the money for promoting their industry.

a healthy fishery = more sports fishermen = more sales.

With the MOI it shouldn't be just the fish and corals that are taxed, but like the sportfishing industry the whole range of products used in the marine hobby, fish, corals, live rock, Salt mixes, foods, meds, lights, pumps, etc. Because of the overlap of equipment usage between Fresh Water and Marine aquarium hobbies any tax created may have to also include fresh water equipment. Another potential problem will be, that much of the needed reform work is outside the US boundries and the system of funding dispersal will be much more complicated then with the sportsfishing tax.

I really think those in the marine ornamental industry should start looking at doing the same and start workin with the government to start things.

I'm currently working on a fisheries enhancement program that will be funded by the sportsfishing program and I will ask for more of the history behind the creation of the tax.

Mike

 

[Anonymous]

My only concern would be where the taxes are applied. In the sport fishing industry it's not visible to the consumer - which means its applied either at the manufacturer or distributor level. Due to the diverse nature of the product and many "home grown" products in this industry it may may collection and collection enforcement a bit hinky.

However I think it makes sense as long as it can be codified as to the beneficary of the funds.