An Act To Provide for Improved Reporting of Marine Resources Landings
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6173, sub-§§3 and 4 are enacted to read:
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6535, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2013, c. 492, §6, is further amended to read:
(1) Sells sea urchins to a purchaser who holds a valid wholesale seafood license with a sea urchin buyer's permit or a valid wholesale seafood license with a sea urchin processor's permit or a valid retail seafood license or sells scallops to a purchaser who holds a valid wholesale seafood license or a valid retail seafood license; and
(2) Provides to the purchaser the name and license number of the license holder with whom the person was engaged when the sea urchins or scallops were harvested.
As long as one person present on a boat engaged as a platform for the harvesting of sea urchins and scallops by hand has met the tender safety requirements adopted by rule pursuant to section 6533, all other persons present on the boat may operate the boat or engage in culling activities or otherwise handle the harvested product. An individual who engages in harvesting activities in accordance with a license issued under section 6701 or 6748 may not be considered as the person who has met the tender safety requirements adopted by rule pursuant to section 6533.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6701, sub-§2, as repealed and replaced by PL 2009, c. 561, §22, is amended to read:
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §6748, sub-§2, as corrected by RR 2013, c. 1, §23, is amended to read:
(1) Sells sea urchins to a purchaser who holds a valid wholesale seafood license with a sea urchin buyer's permit or a valid wholesale seafood license with a sea urchin processor's permit or a valid retail seafood license; and
(2) Provides to the purchaser the name and license number of the license holder with whom the person was engaged when the sea urchins were harvested.
A person may not act as a tender under subsection 4, paragraph B unless that person has met the tender safety requirements adopted by rule pursuant to section 6533.
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §6851, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 598, §41, is further amended to read:
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §6851, sub-§2-E is enacted to read:
SUMMARY
This bill changes the marine resources licensing laws to facilitate the expansion of the use of the transaction card system for electronic dealer reporting that was successfully implemented in Maine's elver fishery in 2014. Specifically, it provides that an individual who holds a dealer's license may be required to obtain equipment specified by the Department of Marine Resources in order to engage in licensed activities. Additionally, it specifies that in the sea urchin and scallop fisheries the license holder must be the individual who sells the harvested product. This change is necessary because only the license holder will be issued a transaction card.
It also prohibits a holder of a wholesale seafood license from dealing in scallops without the holder's obtaining from the Commissioner of Marine Resources a scallop permit, which permits the holder to buy scallops from harvesters and to sell, process, ship or transport scallops.