An Act To Increase Fairness in Lobster Fishing Licensure
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1282
Committee: Marine Resources
Sponsors: VOLK, BENNETT, DILL, PARRY, TILTON
Amends: 12 MRSA §6431-F, 12 MRSA §6448

Legislative Document 
No. 1282 
H.P. 941 
House of Representatives, March 23, 2011 
An Act To Increase Fairness in Lobster Fishing Licensure 
Reference to the Committee on Marine Resources suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative VOLK of Scarborough. 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BENNETT of Kennebunk, DILL of Cape Elizabeth, PARRY 
of Arundel, TILTON of Harrington. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §6431-F, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2005, c. 239, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
A.   If the license holder was issued a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab 
fishing license for the first time after meeting the requirements of the apprentice 
program under section 6422, the license holder may not purchase more than 300 trap 
tags for the initial license year purchase the number of trap tags that was allowed to a 
holder of the same class of license at the time that license holder entered the 
apprentice program. For each following year, the license holder may purchase up to 
an increase of 100 trap tags each year as long as the total number purchased does not 
exceed the number of traps allowed under the lowest trap limit established by rule for 
the zones identified on that person's license pursuant to section 6446, subsection 1-A; 
and 
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §6448, sub-§2, ¶E, as amended by PL 2007, c. 204, §6, is 
repealed. 
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §6448, sub-§2, ¶F, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 239, §4 and 
affected by §11, is repealed. 
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §6448, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 508, §3, is amended 
to read: 
4.  Limited-entry zone as declared lobster zone. A Except as provided in 
subsection 11, a person may not be issued a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab 
fishing license that identifies a limited-entry zone as the declared lobster zone unless that 
person: 
A.   Held in the previous licensing year a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab 
fishing license that identified that zone as the person's declared lobster zone; or 
B.   Is authorized as a new zone entrant by the commissioner pursuant to subsection 7 
to declare that zone as the person's declared lobster zone. 
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §6448, sub-§11 is enacted to read: 
11.  Apprentice licensee; limited-entry zone. Notwithstanding any provision of this 
section to the contrary, the commissioner shall allow a person who has completed the 
requirements of the apprentice program under section 6422 to obtain a Class I, Class II or 
Class III lobster and crab fishing license that identifies a limited-entry zone as the 
declared lobster zone and to enter that limited-entry zone in accordance with the limits on 
new zone entrants that were in place when the person entered the apprentice program. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows an individual who has completed the Department of Marine 
Resources' apprentice program to enter the lobster fishery with the same number of trap 
tags allowed a license holder at the time of the individual's entrance into the apprentice 
program, or to enter the lobster fishery with a limited-entry zone as the declared lobster 
zone based on the limits on new zone entrants that were in effect at the time of the 
individual's entrance into the apprentice program.