SuburbanDharma said:
I think if fishing is your primary goal, the BVI might not be your best choice of charter location anyway. But it sounds as though the charter companies will eventually get caught up with this ridiculous law.
Edit: Is it an annual fee? I just noticed that the fee is only $110 per boat, which is really not very much as far as anything that goes into a boat! The charter companies should just charge a small additional fee to everyone who wants to fish to cover it, what's the big deal?
The issue is a law that has been on the books since 1997 that requires each boat that does any fishing to be registered to fish in the BVI. No matter what size or how much fishing the boat must be registered if any fishing is done. The registered boat must paint numbers on top and the sides. A log of all fishing must be kept. Any registered boat for fishing can then apply for the individual fishing licences many have talked about here for years. According to the law the fishing licenses always went with the registered boat. The price of the individual fishing license is set by the size, flag, and base of the boat your license will be attached to. BOOM! comes 2016 the BVI announces they will either enforce the entire law or maybe just more of the law? At the same time the BVI announces the BVI will raise and simplify marine fees with no specific details. I can see why the large, wise, prudent operator of boats in the BVI would pause until the specific enforcement is announced. The BVI does have a sporadic history of stopping USVI boats then arresting and seizing any boats without all the paperwork. What is the going forward law and regulation and what parts will be enforced going forward against recreational and visiting yachtsman?
From the Law:
"Unless otherwise stated, or the context otherwise requires, all fees apply to all categories of persons and vessels, and are annual."
