How your fishing license helps conservation efforts

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — While paying for a fishing license can be annoying, it’s actually more important than you think.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website says that all of the fees you pay to fish go directly toward conservation and restoration. This can mean improving boating and fishing access, enhancing water quality, maintaining fish habitats, teaching and recruiting new anglers and planning for long term conservation, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership . Discover Boating also notes that fishing licenses help to manage the number of anglers, preventing potential over-fishing and keeping ecosystems healthy.

All states require a fishing license, but when you need it and the type you need can vary. In Maine for example, you need to purchase a fresh water fishing license, but if you want to fish in the ocean, you need to add a saltwater permit. In other states like California, you are not required to have a license when fishing off of a public pier, and in Michigan, a fishing license allows you to take amphibians, crustaceans and reptiles.

There are occasions where you may not need to purchase a fishing license. In West Virginia, you may not need to own a license if you are blind, disabled, actively serving in the military, have been honorably discharged from the military, or are a student or state mental health patient being supervised. You may be required to carry other documentation when fishing however.

If nothing else, having a fishing license can keep you from a run in with the law. Being caught fishing without a license can get you fined up to thousands of dollars and even imprisoned depending on where you were.

You can find your state and purchase your fishing license online here .

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBOY.com.