An Act To Provide Additional Management for Limited-entry Lobster Zones

CONCEPT DRAFT SUMMARY

This bill is a concept draft pursuant to Joint Rule 208.

This bill proposes to consider amending the provisions of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 6448 to include additional management policies to properly manage fishing effort and equity of access in limited-entry lobster management zones, including:

1. Prohibiting a person holding a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license who was not holding a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license before the bill's effective date from fishing lobster traps in a limited-entry zone that is not the license holder’s declared lobster zone;

2. Prohibiting a person holding a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license from fishing more than 25% of the license holder’s lobster traps in a limited-entry zone that is not the license holder’s declared lobster zone;

3. Prohibiting a person holding a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license from fishing more than 25% of the license holder’s lobster traps in a limited-entry zone that is not the license holder’s declared zone and that does not have trap limits and exit ratios consistent with the license holder’s declared zone;

4. If a person holding a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license fishes lobster traps in a limited-entry zone other than the license holder’s declared zone, subjecting the license holder to the most restrictive management measures of both zones; and

5. Requiring the Commissioner of Marine Resources to review annually rules regarding the relative number of 2nd-zone tags that have been fished in each limited-entry zone and allowing the commissioner to propose rule changes to the Department of Marine Resources lobster trap tag system rules to ensure parity of zone access and stability of zone effort related to double tagging.