B. The commissioner may initiate rulemaking under this subsection only upon receipt of a proposal under paragraph A. The commissioner shall hold a public hearing on the proposed rules pursuant to Title 5, section 8052. The public hearing must be held in the zone in which the rules would apply and the results of the written survey must be entered into the record.

C. Rules adopted under this subsection must establish an exit ratio between the number of individuals who declared that zone as their declared lobster zone in the year prior to the previous calendar year, but who did not declare that zone as their declared lobster zone in the previous calendar year, and the number of new zone entrants authorized under subsection 7. An exit ratio established by rule under this subsection is not required to be the same as the exit ratio proposed by the lobster management policy council. Rules adopted under this subsection may exempt from the requirements of this section an individual who became eligible for but who had not been issued a Class I, Class II or Class III license pursuant to section 6421, subsection 5, paragraph C or former paragraph H prior to January 1, 2000 and allow such an individual to declare the zone as that individual's declared lobster zone.

D. Upon written notification from the lobster management policy council that a majority of the council has voted to conduct a survey in a zone regarding a proposal for an exit ratio to limit new zone entrants to the zone, the commissioner shall close the zone to new zone entrants until the commissioner either adopts rules under this subsection or declares that the commissioner will not initiate rulemaking under this subsection. In no event may the zone remain closed for longer than one year unless the commissioner has adopted rules establishing limits on new zone entrants to the zone.

E.__When a lobster management policy council proposes to the commissioner a change in the exit ratio established under paragraph C, the lobster management policy council may also propose to the commissioner a provision to allow individuals who meet the following conditions to enter the zone in accordance with the previously existing exit ratio: