DNREC to Place Cap on Surf Fishing Permit Sales

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Parks and Recreation has announced plans to place a cap on the surf-fishing permits given out, as was voted on by the division’s advisory council.

The cap will be set at 17,000 surf-fishing permits, with already nearly 15,000 sold as of June 7. There will also be a reduction in the number of locations where the permits can be purchased, transferred or replaced.

The surf-fishing permit sales locations will be the Bellevue State Park office in Wilmington, Cape Henlopen State Park office in Lewes, The Indian River Life-Saving Station store at Delaware Seashore State Park in Rehoboth and DNREC’s sales desk at the Richardson & Robbins Building in Dover.

DNREC statistics show that the surf-fishing permits have increased at a rate of seven percent annually from 2011 to 2017. 65 percent of the funds used to operate and maintain Delaware State Parks originates from the collection of user fees.