An Act To Create a Commercial Halibut Fishing License
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1770
Committee Amendment CA_A_H979 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §6506

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A" to H.P. 1321, L.D. 1770, "An Act To Create a 
Commercial Halibut Fishing License" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 5 a,nd inserting the following: 
'Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §6506 is enacted to read: 
§6506. Commercial halibut fishing license 
1. License required. Beginning January 1, 2023, a person may not engage in the 
activities authorized under this section without a current: 
A. Commercial halibut fishing license for a resident operator; 
B. Commercial halibut fishing license for a resident operator and all crew members; 
C. Commercial halibut fishing license for a nonresident operator and all crew members; 
or 
D. Commercial halibut fishing license for an operator with a federal northeast 
multispecies groundfish permit authorizing halibut fishing for the operator and all crew 
members. 
2. Licensed activity; commercial license. The holder of a commercial halibut fishing 
license issued under subsection 1 may fish for, take, possess, ship, transport or sell halibut 
that the holder has taken. Crew members aboard a license holder's vessel may fish for, take, 
possess, ship or transport halibut only if the license provides for crew members. . 
3. Eligibility. A commercial halibut fishing license issued under subsection 1 may be 
issued only to an individual. 
4. Fees. Fees for commercial halibut fishing licenses issued under subsection 1 are as 
follows: 
A. For a commercial halibut fishing license for a resident operator, $48; 
B. For a commercial halibut fishing license for a resident operator and all crew 
members, $128; 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ROS 2 
.~1,iit~ 
... ,'~i 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ,A(' to H.P. 1321, L.D. 1770 
C. For a commercial halibut fishing license for a nonresident operator and all crew 
members, $481: and 
D. For a commercial halibut fishing license for an operator with a federal northeast 
multispecies groundfish permit authorizing halibut fishing for the operator and all crew 
members, $2. 
The commissioner shall deposit fees collected pursuant to this subsection in the Halibut 
Fund established under section 6039. 
5. Halibut tags. The holder of a commercial halibut fishing license issued under 
subsection 1 niust annually purchase halibut tags to fish for or take halibut. A license holder 
may purchase an allotment of halibut tags only once per year. A vessel may have only one 
license holder's tags assigned to that vessel. The commissioner shall establish by rule the 
maximum number of halibut tags that may be issued to a license holder per year, and may 
establish up to 2 options for the number of tags a license holder may purchase. The 
commissioner may establish a fee, not to exceed $4 per tag, for each purchase option. 
Unless otherwise specified in routine technical rules adopted by the commissioner pursuant 
to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A, the following fees apply to halibut tags: 
A. For IO halibut tags, $10; and 
B. For 25 halibut tags, $100. 
The commissioner shall deposit fees collected pursuant to this subsection in the Halibut 
Fund established under section 6039.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 5 the following: 
'Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
MARINE RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF 
Bureau of Marine Science 0027 
Initiative: Provides allocations for expenditures related to halibut research and for the 
implementation of management measures needed for the halibut fishery. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
2021-22 
$0 
$0 
2022-23 
$48,500 
$48,500 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds a commercial halibut fishing license requirement for an operator 
with a federal northeast multispecies groundfish permit authorizing halibut fishing for the 
8 
operator and all crew members and sets the license fee at $2 for such an operator. It permits 
the Commissioner of Marine Resources to establish up to 2 options for the number of 
halibut tags a license holder may purchase and to establish fees for the tag purchase options 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
~9§, i 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 1321, L.D. 1770 
provided they do not exceed $4 per tag. The amendment replaces the 5 tag options in the 
bill with 2 tag options: 10 halibut tags for $10 and 25 halibut tags for $100. The amendment 
also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revised: 04/08/22 feae:.. 
LD 1770 
LR2190(02) 
An Act To Create a Commercial Halibut Fishing License 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ';t' ( {-\ - 11 °l) 
Committee: Marine Resources 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2021-22 
FY 2022-23 
$0 
$48,500 
$0 
$48,500 
Projections 
FY 2023-24 
$48,500 
$48,500 
Projections 
FY 2024-25 
$48,500 
$48,5 
The additional workload associated with the minimal number of new cases filed in the court system does not require 
additional funding at this time. The collection of additional fines may increase General Fund or other dedicated 
revenue by minor amounts. 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
This bill removes halibut from the list of species that may be fished with a commercial pelagic and anadromous 
fishing license and creates new commercial halibut fishing licenses and halibut tag fees (detailed below). License fee 
and halibut tag fee revenue will be credited to the Halibut Fund. The Department of Marine Resources estimates that 
between 200 to 300 individuals will choose to obtain commercial halibut licenses and the required tags, which will 
result in an estimated annual revenue increase to the Halibut Fund of $48,500. The bill includes an Other Special 
Revenue Funds allocation of $48,500 beginning in fiscal year 2022-23 to allow for expenditure of the funds. 
Commercial Halibut Fishing License - Resident Operator 
Commercial Halibut Fishing License - Resident Operator w/Crew 
Commercial Halibut Fishing License - Nonresident Operator w/Crew 
Commercial Halibut Fishing License - Operator with a federal northeast 
multispecies pennit authorizing halibut fishing w/crew 
halibut tags 
halibut tags 
LR2190(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1 
$48 
$128 
$481 
$2 
$10 
$100