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TOMS RIVER, NJ – A long-standing New Jersey tradition of lining up in person each January for Island Beach State Park beach buggy fishing permits has collapsed into chaos after the state moved to an online system that locals say has shut them out of their own coastline.

The new digital process, designed to modernize permit sales, has turned the coveted passes into what some frustrated anglers describe as a “global commodity,” with out-of-state buyers snapping up the limited spots within minutes of release.

Residents and officials across Ocean County say the move has alienated New Jersey taxpayers who have supported the park’s upkeep for generations.

In the past, fishermen would even gather at midnight on New Year’s Day to get their pass. There has always been bragging rights for th

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