An Act To Update Maine's Fishing Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0547
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
Sponsors: CYRWAY, DUCHESNE, ALLEY, HARLOW, LYFORD, MASON, REED, STEARNS, THERIAULT, WOOD
Amends: 12 MRSA §10001, 12 MRSA §12457, 12 MRSA §12506, 12 MRSA §12602, 12 MRSA §12606, 12 MRSA §12656, 12 MRSA §12759, 12 MRSA §12760

Legislative Document
No. 547
S.P. 182
In Senate, February 14, 2017
An Act To Update Maine's Fishing Laws
Submitted by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife suggested and ordered 
printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator CYRWAY of Kennebec.
Cosponsored by Representative DUCHESNE of Hudson and
Representatives: ALLEY of Beals, HARLOW of Portland, LYFORD of Eddington, MASON 
of Lisbon, REED of Carmel, STEARNS of Guilford, THERIAULT of China, WOOD of 
Greene.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§6, ¶¶D, G and H, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, are repealed. 
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §10001, sub-§53-A is enacted to read: 
53-A.  River herring.  "River herring" means the species Alosa pseudoharengus, 
commonly called alewife, and Alosa aestivalis, commonly called blueback herring. 
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §12457, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §245 
and affected by §422, is amended to read: 
2.  Prohibition.  A person may not fish in inland waters closed to fishing as 
described in this section except that a person may fish for alewives river herring and 
smelts in the manner provided under the laws regulating marine resources. 
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §12506, as amended by PL 2015, c. 494, Pt. A, §9, is further 
amended to read: 
§12506.  Eel, sucker, lamprey and yellow perch harvesting method permit; elver 
prohibition; limitations on river herring harvesting 
1.  Permit required.  Except as otherwise authorized pursuant to this Part and except 
as provided in subsection 5-A, a person may not fish for or possess the following fish 
using the harvesting methods listed in subsection 2 without a valid permit issued under 
this section: 
B.  Eels; 
C.  Suckers; 
D.  Lampreys; or 
E.  Yellow perch. 
Each day a person violates this subsection, that person commits a Class E crime for which 
a minimum fine of $50 and an amount equal to twice the applicable license fee must be 
imposed. 
2.  Issuance.  The commissioner may adopt rules providing for the issuance of 
permits to fish for or possess the following fish using the following harvesting methods in 
the inland waters of the State, provided the permits do not interfere with any rights 
granted under section 6131: 
A.  Eels using eel pots or weirs; 
B.  Suckers and yellow perch using trap nets, dip nets or spears;  
C.  Lampreys by hand or using hand-held dip nets; and 
E.  Yellow perch using seines. 
The commissioner may place conditions on the use of gear allowed under this subsection 
and may prohibit or restrict the use of any gear used to concentrate species for harvest 
under this subsection. 
Each day a person violates a condition or restriction placed on the use of gear allowed 
under this subsection, that person commits a Class E crime. 
3.  Fees; transfer of permit. The minimum fee for an individual permit for suckers, 
lampreys and yellow perch is $44.  The holder of an individual permit for suckers, 
lampreys or yellow perch may purchase a crew permit for suckers, lampreys and yellow 
perch for $102, authorizing up to 3 persons to engage in the permitted activity.  The 
annual fee for an eel pot or weir permit is $102.  An eel pot or eel weir permit is not 
transferable. 
4.  Five-year limited entry; eel weirs.  A person is ineligible to receive an eel weir 
permit unless that person possessed a valid eel weir permit for calendar year 1995.  The 
department shall adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A regarding the issuance of eel weir permits.  The number of weirs and the number of 
square miles of watersheds in this State fished by eel weirs may be no more than those 
permitted in calendar year 1995. 
5-A.  Limitations on river herring harvesting.   Except as provided in this 
subsection a person may not harvest alewives river herring. 
A.  A person may fish for alewives river herring by use of a dip net or single hook 
and line for consumption by that person or members of that person's family, as long 
as the person takes or possesses no more than 25 fish in any day and as long as the 
alewives river herring are taken downstream from any location where a municipality 
or other person has been granted exclusive rights under section 6131; and 
B.  A person may fish for or possess alewives river herring from inland waters if that 
person has been granted fishing rights under section 6131. 
A person that violates this subsection commits a Class E crime. 
5-B.  Harvesting suckers for bait without a permit.  Notwithstanding subsection 1, 
a person may take suckers for use as bait for fishing in inland waters as provided in 
section 12551-A without a permit under subsection 2. 
6.  Eels and elvers prohibitions.  The following prohibitions apply to the harvesting 
of eels and elvers in inland waters. 
A.  A person may not fish for or take elvers from inland waters. 
B.  A person other than the owner of a weir used to fish for or take eels in inland 
waters may not tend that weir while the weir is immersed unless that person has in 
the person's possession written permission from the owner to tend the weir or is in the 
presence of the owner and has the owner's permission to tend the weir. 
A person who violates this subsection commits a Class E crime. 
7.  Other harvesting methods for suckers.  Notwithstanding subsection 1, a person 
licensed or otherwise entitled to fish in Maine waters may take suckers for that person's 
use in all rivers, brooks and streams that are open to fishing between April 1st and June 
30th of each calendar year by the use of a hand spear, by bow and arrow or by snagging. 
A.  A person may not use a bow and arrow to harvest suckers unless the arrow used 
has a barbed or pronged point and the arrow is attached to the bow with a line. 
B.  The following penalties apply to violations of paragraph A. 
(1)  A person who violates paragraph A commits a civil violation for which a fine 
of not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged. 
(2)  A person who violates paragraph A after having been adjudicated as having 
committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year 
period commits a Class E crime. 
8.  Reports required.  A person issued a permit under this section shall submit a 
completed report on forms provided by the department with the following information: 
water name and location, including the town and county of waters fished; date fished; 
total catch; gear type and quantity; number of crew; amount of time the gear is set; total 
gear in the water; water depth; total time the boat is on the water; species and pounds 
harvested; license number of the dealer the catch was sold to or the disposition of the 
catch; town where the catch was brought to shore; boat registration number; vessel name; 
and the harvester's name, telephone number and permit number.  A holder of an eel 
permit must submit the report by the date specified on the permit.  A holder of a sucker, 
lamprey or yellow perch permit must submit the report by December 31st of each year.  
All data submitted as part of the report are for scientific purposes only and are 
confidential and not part of a public record within the meaning of Title 1, chapter 13, 
subchapter 1, except that the commissioner may disclose data collected under this 
subsection if released in a form that is statistical or general in nature. 
If a person issued a permit under this section fails to provide information required under 
this section, the commissioner may refuse to renew or may revoke that person's permit. If 
a person becomes ineligible for a permit as a result of a violation of this section, that 
person may request a hearing in accordance with section 10905. 
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §12602, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and affected 
by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
§12602.  Violation of number, amount, weight or size limits 
A person may not: 
1.  Fish in violation of certain rules.  Fish in violation of the number, amount, 
weight or size limits established by rules adopted by the commissioner; or 
2.  Possess fish in violation of certain rules.  Possess fish in violation of the number, 
amount, weight or size limits established by rules adopted by the commissioner.; and 
3.  Alter fish from their natural state prior to measuring for bag limit.  When a 
fish is measured by volume, including smelts, alter fish from or possess fish altered from 
their natural state prior to measuring. 
A person who violates this section commits a Class E crime.  The court shall also 
impose a fine of $20 for each fish unlawfully possessed, none of which may be 
suspended. 
Sec. 6.  12 MRSA §12606, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
1.  Prohibition.  A person may not ice fish in inland waters closed to ice fishing, 
except that person may fish for alewives river herring and smelts in the manner provided 
under the laws regulating marine resources. 
Sec. 7.  12 MRSA §12656, sub-§1, ¶B, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. A, §2 
and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
B.  Except as otherwise provided, use any grapnel, spear, spear gun, trawl, weir, gaff, 
seine, gill net, trap or set lines for fishing. 
(1)  A person may take suckers, eels, alewives river herring and yellow perch in 
accordance with section 12506. 
(2)  A person may take baitfish with a baitfish trap, as defined in section 10001, 
subsection 7. 
Sec. 8.  12 MRSA §12759, as amended by PL 2003, c. 655, Pt. B, §303 and 
affected by §422, is further amended to read: 
§12759.  Stocking river herring 
1.  Prohibition.  A person may not stock alewives river herring in Hogan Pond or 
Whitney Pond in the Town of Oxford or any waters that drain into or out of those ponds. 
2.  Penalty.  The following penalties apply to violations of this section. 
A.  A person who violates this section commits a civil violation for which a fine of 
not less than $100 nor more than $500 may be adjudged. 
B.  A person who violates this section after having been adjudicated as having 
committed 3 or more civil violations under this Part within the previous 5-year period 
commits a Class E crime. 
Sec. 9.  12 MRSA §12760, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2011, c. 612, §1, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Commissioners' authority.  In order to conserve, develop or restore anadromous 
or migratory fish resources, the commissioner and the Commissioner of Marine 
Resources jointly may require a fishway to be erected, maintained, repaired or altered by 
the owners, lessors or other persons in control of any dam or other artificial obstruction 
within inland waters frequented by alewives river herring, shad, salmon, sturgeon or other 
anadromous or migratory fish species. 
The commissioners may not require or authorize a fishway or fish bypass structure at a 
dam on the outlet of Sebec Lake in the Town of Sebec or at a dam on the Sebec River in 
the Town of Milo or at a dam on the outlet of Schoodic Lake in Lake View Plantation or 
at a dam on the outlet of Seboeis Lake in Township 4, Range 9 NWP that would allow 
the upstream passage of an invasive fish species known to be present downstream in the 
Piscataquis River or Penobscot River drainage. For the purposes of this section, “invasive 
fish species” means those invasive fish species identified in the action plan for managing 
invasive aquatic species developed pursuant to Title 38, section 1872. 
SUMMARY 
This bill: 
1.  Prohibits a person from altering fish, including smelts, from their natural state 
until after a wet measure has been conducted; 
2.  Replaces the term "alewives" with the term "river herring" to be more consistent 
with Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife usage. The definition of river herring 
includes both alewives and blueback herring; and 
3.  Removes several species from the definition of baitfish that do not exist in the 
waters of the State, are not commonly used or sold in the State or are found in very 
localized areas and should not be used as bait due to the possibility of introduction into 
other areas with adverse effects.