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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 851
H.P. 537 House of Representatives, March 4, 2025
An Act to Establish a Senior Retiree Lobster License
Reference to the Committee on Marine Resources suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative FOLEY of Wells.
Cosponsored by Senator HAGGAN of Penobscot and
Representatives: MORRIS of Turner, OLSEN of Raymond, PARRY of Arundel.
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1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§2, as amended by PL 1995, c. 568, §1, is further
3 amended to read:
42. Licensed activity. The holder of a Class I, Class II, Class III, apprentice, senior
5 retiree or student lobster and crab fishing license may fish for, take, possess, ship or
6 transport within the State lobsters or crabs and sell lobsters or crabs the license holder has
7 taken. The license does not authorize the license holder to remove lobster meat from the
8 shell or to take, possess, transport or ship lobster parts or meat. The holder of a Class II or
9 Class III license is liable for the licensed activities under this subsection of all unlicensed
10 crew members assisting that licensee.
11Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§3-A, ¶G is enacted to read:
12 G. A senior retiree lobster and crab fishing license authorizes the license holder to
13 engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2. A person issued a senior retiree
14 lobster and crab fishing license may not submerge at any one time more than 100
15 lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State. A person issued a senior retiree lobster
16 and crab fishing license may not set traps before May 1st and must remove all traps by
17 December 1st.
18Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§5-F is enacted to read:
195-F. Senior retiree lobster and crab fishing license eligibility. A senior retiree
20 lobster and crab fishing license may be issued only to a person who, at the time of
21 application, is 65 years of age or older, has been a resident of the State for a minimum of
22 10 years and previously held a commercial lobster and crab fishing license for 3 or more
23 consecutive years.
24Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§7-B, ¶Q, as amended by PL 2019, c. 575, §1, is
25 further amended to read:
26 Q. For a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license, $60, except as provided in
27 subsection 7‑D; and
28Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§7-B, ¶R, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 284, Pt. EEEEE,
29 §3, is amended to read:
30 R. For a nonresident lobster and crab landing permit, $590.25. ; and
31Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§7-B, ¶S is enacted to read:
32 S. For a senior retiree lobster and crab fishing license, $60.
33Sec. 7. 12 MRSA §6446, sub-§1-A, as amended by PL 2015, c. 68, §5, is further
34 amended to read:
351-A. Declared lobster zone; authorized zones. On an application for a Class I, Class
36 II, Class III, senior retiree, student or noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license or a
37 nonresident lobster and crab landing permit, a person shall declare the lobster management
38 zone in which that person proposes to fish a majority of that person's lobster traps and shall
39 list all other zones in which that person proposes to fish any of that person's lobster traps.
40 A Class I, Class II, Class III, senior retiree, student or noncommercial lobster and crab
41 fishing license or a nonresident lobster and crab landing permit must identify the declared
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42 lobster zone in which the person is authorized to fish a majority of that person's lobster
43 traps and must identify all other zones in which a person is authorized to fish that person's
44 traps. A person may not place any lobster traps in a zone that is not identified on that
45 person's license. For the purposes of this subsection, the majority of a person's lobster traps
46 must be determined from the number of trap tags issued to that person.
6SUMMARY
7 This bill creates a senior retiree lobster and crab fishing license, establishes eligibility
8 requirements for the license, sets regulations about trap count and placement and fishing
9 dates for license holders and sets a license fee at $60.
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