An Act To Promote Sustainability in the Scallop Fishing Industry

Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6073-E  is enacted to read:

§ 6073-E.  Limit exemption; scallop aquaculture

A person who cultivates scallops pursuant to a lease issued under section 6072, 6072-A or 6072-B or a license issued under section 6072-C is exempt from the scallop harvesting limit set forth in section 6721-B for scallops harvested from the leased area.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6706, sub-§2,  as amended by PL 2011, c. 237, §1, is further amended to read:

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6706, sub-§2-A  is enacted to read:

Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §6706, sub-§3,  as amended by PL 2011, c. 237, §2, is further amended to read:

Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §6721-B  is enacted to read:

§ 6721-B.  Scallop harvesting limit

Except as provided in section 6073-E, a person may not harvest more than 90 pounds of scallops per day.

Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §6723,  as repealed and replaced by PL 2007, c. 607, Pt. A, §7, is repealed.

Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §6727-A  is enacted to read:

§ 6727-A.  Maximum drag width

A person may not possess on any vessel fishing for scallops in the territorial waters, or use when fishing for or taking scallops in the territorial waters, a drag or any combination of drags that measures in excess of 5 feet, 6 inches across from one extreme outside edge of the mouth of the drag or combination of drags to the opposite extreme outside edge.

summary

This bill creates a 90-pound per day, per person harvesting limit on scallops; however, this bill exempts scallops harvested through aquaculture from this limit. The bill provides that a hand fishing scallop license or scallop dragging license must be issued to an applicant who previously held a hand fishing scallop license or scallop dragging license, which had expired. The bill also imposes a maximum width of 5 feet, 6 inches for scallop drags.