The Virginia Marine Resources Commission will hold a public hearing at noon Tuesday, Oct. 28, at its headquarters in Newport News on a proposal to raise the cost of saltwater recreational fishing licenses.

The proposed fee increases will help ensure continuation of core recreational programs, said Laurie Naismith, VMRC’s public information officer.

In recent years, Naismith said, additional obligations have been placed on the Virginia Saltwater Recreational Fishing Development Fund. Among requests are funding for the Fishermen Identification program, payment to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries for license sales, and the annual operating costs for the Artificial Reef Program.

The proposed increases come after the General Assembly reached an agreement for budget reductions of $92.4 million for Fiscal Year 2015 and $100 million for FY2016 from state agencies, a release said.

The Code of Virginia provides that the license fees should be raised by $5 or the per...