SEAFORD, Del.- 17,000 surf fishing tags were sold this week in the first state, but some say that is not enough. Taylor Tallarico is a resident of Seaford and started a petition, arguing that Delaware tax payers should get a first chance at a tag, over people from out of state.
"Having the opportunity of driving onto a drive-on-beach on the state park has been great for me, my family and friends especially especially the ones wo have been here for years and generations who had the opportunity to fish on those beaches," said Tallarico.
Rich King, owner of Delaware Surf Fishing says the state should sell unlimited tags, but then limit the number of vehicles on the beach each day.
"Limiting the number of vehicles on the beach is the only solution. Get a bunch of people to learn how to share a resource. A bunch of grown and entitled adults that can't share something. That's the problem," said King. It's an idea Tallarico likes.
"Why is it that Assateague beach can do that, but why is it that Delaware beaches are not doing that? That is a question we haven't really gotten the answer to," said Tallarico.
But Ray Bivens, Director of Delaware State Parks says logistically, that poses it's own challenges.
"I think the one you described to me is going to be tough for us. That would involve queuing, people waiting for a turn, and if you think about where our surf fishing crossings are, a lot of them are a short car lengths from route one. And the last thing we want to do is make traffic any worse," said Bivens.
Bivens said he and his team are working on a better system for the tags, and even said he could see a future where the process may rely on technology, using some time of reservation system.