Unsticky Situation: New Boat Decals Don’t Stick

There’s just one minor problem with the new permit sticker that licensed saltwater anglers in Delaware were required to place on their boats beginning January 1—it doesn’t stick to watercraft and quickly disintegrates in salt water after one day.

Whoops.

Delaware fisheries administrator Roy Miller says the complaints began pouring in soon after the first stickers were issued and anglers began trying to put them on their boats.

“It’s most unfortunate,” Miller told the Wilmington News-Journal. “It’s more criticism that we don’t need.”

As in other states, Delaware requires a freshwater fishing license, but only last year approved a license for saltwater fishing as well. With last year’s reauthorization of the Federal Fisheries Act (Magnuson-Stevens), lawmakers and fisheries folks recognized that the state could fail to qualify for some federal dollars without a method to accurately track the number of saltwater fishermen.

The potential loss of federal monies spurred the state into action, and a new license was quickly created.

And so was the boat sticker. Perhaps a little too hastily, however.

Edward Dwornik, who owns the company contracted to supply the stickers said he wasn’t aware there was a problem until the complaints began. He described the stickers’ apparent aversion to salt water and watercraft surfaces as “a material failure.”

Indeed.

Once new materials are thoroughly tested, new decals will be mailed to Delaware saltwater anglers, Dwornik said.

In the meantime, saltwater fishermen are being told to carry their sticker in case they need to present it for license verification.

But don’t even try to stick it on a boat.