Anglers are upset about a federal law requiring fishing regulators to establish a registry of recreational anglers who fish for striped bass, shad and other fish that live in salt water but spawn in fresh water.

Beginning in January, striper fishermen will be required to obtain a federal fishing permit or, in states where they are available, a state saltwater license.

Jon Spencer, a Connecticut fisherman, says it's a bad idea.

"During the research you did for this story, did you come across a rough number of taxpayer dollars it would cost to support such an idea?" he asks. "From my experience fishing for the wonderful bass, I have noticed that Department of Environmental Protection can't seem to protect the fish from poaching, and now the government wants to enforce a permit to fish for them? Something here doesn't make sense to me at all, or maybe I just have a biased view."

After returning from the British Virgin Islands, Mike Ryan noted, "In Tortola BVI, one needs a license to fish and the fine for being caught without one is something like $45,000. We tried for almost three months to get one this winter to no avail; bureaucratic delay."

Fred DeFinis lives in Wellesley, Mass., but keeps his boat in Rhode Island. He says the legislation "stinks."

"As usual, they have probably not considered all the complications such as: Do kids need their own license? How about seniors, do they get a break on the cost? What about an occasional guest -- does he or she need a license for one time out? How long before the annual fee is $100? $200? I can see the striped bass fishery going the way of the tuna fishery. The commercial guys will take their limit and then the fishery will be closed to the recreational fisherman who is lucky to get a few keepers a year even when fishing without restrictions.

"Maybe Rhode Island can issue its own license for $1 lifetime and thereby comply with the federal regulations while performing a service to the local fishermen.

"If any regulator asks me what I caught, the answer will be 'nothing.'"

Congress required the recreational-angler registry when lawmakers revised the Magnuson-Stevens Act last year.