An Act To Make Technical Changes to Maine's Marine Resources Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1925
Committee Amendment CA_A_S420 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §6302-B, 12 MRSA §6505-A, 12 MRSA §6575-K

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" f\-" to S.P. 667, L.D. 1925, Bill, "An Act To Make 
Technical Changes to Maine's Marine Resources Laws" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6302-B, sub-§2, ,rA, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 391, §6, is 
amended by amending subparagraph ( 4) to read: 
(4) When the quota established under subsection 1 is reached, the department 
shall notify the tribe, nation or band. 
The commissioner may use the data 
collected from the elver transaction cards issued under subparagraph (1) to 
determine whether the overall annual quota established under subsection 1 has 
been reached. When the quota established under subsection 1 is reached, the 
holder of a license issued by the tribe, nation or band under section 6302-A, 
subsection 3 may not thereafter take, possess or sell elvers. Taking, possessing or 
selling elvers after the quota established under subsection 1 is reached is deemed 
a violation by the license holder of the prohibition on fishing in excess of the 
person's individual quota in section 6505-A, subsection 3-A.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 5 to 7 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. S. 12 MRSA §6505-A, sub-§1-C, as amended by PL 2017, c. 250, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
1-C. Elver transaction card issued. The department may issue an elver transaction 
card to each license holder under this section and to each license holder under section 
6302-A, subsection 3, paragraphs E, E-1, F and G in accordance with section 6302-B. 
The department may charge each license holder an annual fee for the elver transaction 
card that may not exceed $35. Fees collected under this subsection must be deposited in 
the Eel and Elver Management Fund under section 6505-D. The license holder shall use 
the elver transaction card to meet electronic reporting requirements established by rule 
pursuant to section 6173. The elver transaction card must include the license holder's 
name and lioense landings number. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ft" to S.P. 667, L.D. 1925 ' . , · ' { 
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §6575-K, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 131, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
1. Prohibition on possession or sale of elvers in excess of elver individual fishing 
quota. A person may not possess or sell a weight of elvers that exceeds in excess of the 
elver individual fishing quota that person has been allocated for the fishing season 
pursuant to section 6505-A, subsection 3-A, plus any additional quota the person may be 
authorized to take under section 6575-L. After a person's elver transaction card issued 
pursuant to section 6505-A, subsection 1-C has been used to record transactions equal to 
or in excess of the elver quota allocated to that person, that person may not possess or sell 
elvers. 
Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §6575-K, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2015, c. 131, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
2. Prohibition on fishing after elver individual fishing quota has been reached. 
Except as provided in section 6575-L, this section applies to fishing after a person's elver 
individual fishing quota has been reached. A person who has sold a weight of elvers that 
meets or exceeds equal to or in excess of that person's elver individual fishing quota may 
not fish for or possess elvers for the remainder of the season, except that such a person 
who has been issued a license to fish for elvers may in accordance with section 6575-D 
assist another person who has been issued a license to fish for elvers who has not met or 
exceeded that person's elver individual fishing quota as provided in section 6505-A, 
subsection 3-A. After a person's elver transaction card issued pursuant to section 6505-A, 
subsection 1-C has been used to record transactions equal to or in excess of the elver 
quota allocated to that person, that person may not fish for elvers. All gear tagged by a 
license holder who has met or exceeded that person's elver individual fishing quota must 
be removed. A marine patrol officer may seize the elver transaction card of a license 
holder who has met or exceeded that person's elver individual fishing quota.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment clarifies language related to the elver quota. Specifically, it does the 
following. 
1. It allows the Commissioner of Marine Resources to use data collected from the 
elver transaction cards to determine whether the overall annual quota has been reached 
for federally recognized Indian tribes in the State. 
2. It specifies that a person may not possess or sell elvers when that person's elver 
transaction card has been used to record transactions equal to or in excess of the elver 
quota allocation to that person. 
3. It specifies that a person may not fish for or possess elvers for the remainder of the 
season when that person's elver transaction card has been used to record sales of elvers in 
an amount equal to or in excess of the elver quota allocation to that person. 
FISCAL : 1~0TE. PIQlTTRED 
t,Si::;; uUJthcd) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 02/27/20 Mac 
LD 1925 
LR 3018(02) 
An Act To Make Technical Changes to Maine's Marine Resources Laws 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ''f\"( S-L\'dt:,) 
Committee: Marine Resources 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Any additional costs to the Department of Marine Resources as a result of changes to the laws governing elver quotas 
are anticipated to be minor and can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR3018(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1