An Act to Provide for the Sustainable Management of Marine
Maine Legislature, Session 132, LD 1176
Committee: Marine Resources
Sponsors: EATON
Amends: 12 MRSA §6171-B, 12 MRSA §6804, 12 MRSA §6805

Legislative Document
No. 1176
H.P. 781
House of Representatives, March 20, 2025
An Act to Provide for the Sustainable Management of Marine 
Resources and Create a Noncommercial Northern Shrimp License
Submitted by the Department of Marine Resources pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Marine Resources suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative EATON of Deer Isle.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  12 MRSA §6171-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2003, c. 248, §2, is further 
amended to read:
1.  Definitions.  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings.
A.  "Emerging fishery" means the commercial fishing for any marine organism, except 
herring and groundfish species, that requires a commercial fishing license issued under 
section 6501 or a commercial pelagic and anadromous fishing license issued under 
section 6502-A.
B.  "Endorsement" means an authorization, identified on a commercial fishing license 
issued under section 6501 or a commercial pelagic and anadromous fishing license 
issued under section 6502-A, to harvest, possess, transport and sell a specific marine 
organism for which there is an emerging fishery.
Sec. 2.  12 MRSA §6171-B, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 297, §1, is amended 
to read:
2.  Determination of sustainability.  The commissioner may investigate conditions 
affecting marine resources and, with the advice and consent of the Marine Resources 
Advisory Council, may require a person to hold an endorsement to participate in an 
emerging fishery if the commissioner determines that a marine organism or its habitat is 
under increasing pressure that could impact its sustainability or if the commissioner 
determines that a marine organism is becoming established in the waters of this State and 
that access to that marine organism must be limited to ensure its sustainable management.  
The commissioner shall ensure that emerging fisheries do not develop at a rate that is not 
sustainable on a long-term basis.
Harvesters involved in an emerging fishery may petition the commissioner to investigate 
the sustainability of that emerging fishery.
Sec. 3.  12 MRSA §6171-B, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 297, §1, is amended 
to read:
4.  Endorsement required.  Notwithstanding section sections 6501 and 6502-A, a 
person may not fish for, take, possess, ship, transport or sell a marine organism for which 
an endorsement is required pursuant to subsection 2 unless that person holds a current 
commercial fishing license or a commercial pelagic and anadromous fishing license with 
an endorsement for that organism, except that a license with an endorsement is not required 
for that person to fish for, take, possess or transport the organism only for personal use.
A fee may not be charged for an endorsement required pursuant to this section.
Sec. 4.  12 MRSA §6804, as amended by PL 2017, c. 346, §§1 and 2, is further 
amended to read:
§6804.  Commercial northern Northern shrimp license
1.  License required.  A person may not engage in the activities authorized under this 
section without a current:
A.  Resident commercial northern shrimp license;
B.  Resident with crew commercial northern shrimp license; or
C.  Nonresident with crew commercial northern shrimp license.; or
D.  Resident noncommercial northern shrimp license.
2.  Licensed activities.  Except as limited pursuant to subsection 2‑A, the holder of a 
commercial northern shrimp license may fish for or take shrimp or possess, ship, transport 
or sell northern shrimp that the license holder has taken.  A license issued under subsection 
7, paragraph B or C also authorizes unlicensed crew members aboard the vessel declared 
by the license holder to engage in these activities.:
A.  A holder of a commercial northern shrimp license may fish for or take northern 
shrimp or possess, ship, transport or sell northern shrimp that the license holder has 
taken.  A license issued under subsection 7, paragraph B or C also authorizes 
unlicensed crew members aboard the vessel declared by the license holder to engage 
in these activities; and
B.  A holder of a resident noncommercial northern shrimp license may fish for or take 
northern shrimp or possess, ship or transport northern shrimp that the license holder 
has taken.
2-A.  Licenses Commercial licenses limited.  The commissioner may establish by 
rule a system to limit the number of commercial northern shrimp licenses issued under this 
section when the total allowable catch for northern shrimp established for Maine by the 
Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is less than 2,000 metric tons. Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2‑A.
Prior to initiating rulemaking, the commissioner shall consult with members of the northern 
shrimp industry, including individuals who are eligible to obtain a license that allows 
fishing for or taking northern shrimp and holders of a license or permit issued under chapter 
that allows wholesale or retail activity involving northern shrimp.
The commissioner shall provide a report regarding management of the northern shrimp 
resource and the northern shrimp fishing industry to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over marine resources matters by January 15th of the year 
following a year in which the commissioner limited the number of licenses issued under 
this section.  The joint standing committee may report out legislation to the session of the 
Legislature in which the report was received regarding management of the northern shrimp 
resource or the northern shrimp fishing industry.
3.  Boat Commercial license holder boat declaration.  The commercial license 
holder shall declare the name of the vessel to be used for fishing under the commercial 
northern shrimp license at the time of application for the license and may not change that 
declaration during the license year unless the original vessel is sold and replaced, has been 
damaged and will be under repair for not less than one month or has been destroyed or lost.
5.  Exemption.  Notwithstanding subsection 1, a license is not required to fish for, take, 
possess or transport up to one standard fish tote of northern shrimp only for personal use.  
This exemption does not apply to an individual whose ability to obtain a commercial 
northern shrimp license has been suspended by the commissioner.
6.  Eligibility.  A commercial northern shrimp license may be issued only to an 
individual.
7.  Fees.  Fees for the commercial northern shrimp license are as follows:
A.  Thirty-eight dollars for a resident commercial license that authorizes the license 
holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2, paragraph A;
B.  One hundred three dollars for a resident commercial license that authorizes the 
license holder and crew members to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 
2, paragraph A; and
C.  Three hundred eighty-five dollars for a nonresident commercial license that 
authorizes the license holder and crew members to engage in the licensed activities 
under subsection 2., paragraph A; and
D.  Twenty dollars for a resident noncommercial license that authorizes the license 
holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2, paragraph B.
8.  Disposition of fees.  Fees for commercial northern shrimp licenses must be 
deposited in the Shrimp Management Fund established in section 6805 as follows:
A.  Thirty-three dollars for a resident commercial license that authorizes the license 
holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2, paragraph A;
B.  Eighty-nine dollars for a resident commercial license that authorizes the license 
holder and crew members to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2, 
paragraph A; and
C.  Three hundred thirty-four dollars for a nonresident commercial license that 
authorizes the license holder and crew members to engage in the licensed activities 
under subsection 2., paragraph A; and
D.  Twenty dollars for a resident noncommercial license that authorizes the license 
holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2, paragraph B.
9.  Violation.  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.
Sec. 5.  12 MRSA §6805, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 491, §5, is amended to 
read:
3.  Source of revenue.  In addition to the fees derived from the commercial and 
noncommercial northern shrimp license licenses, the fund may receive money from any 
source for the purposes described in subsection 2.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the sustainable development of emerging fisheries law to allow the 
Commissioner of Marine Resources to require an endorsement on a fishing license for an 
emerging fishery for a species whose harvest is currently authorized under the commercial 
pelagic and anadromous fishing license.  It also removes a license exemption for the taking 
of northern shrimp for personal use and creates a resident noncommercial northern shrimp 
license at a cost of $20, which is deposited in the Shrimp Management Fund.