Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6573 is enacted to read:

§6573.__Closure of herring spawning areas

1.__Identification of areas.__The commissioner shall by rule identify the location of all coastal waters that serve as spawning areas for herring.__Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as provided in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.

2.__Closure.__A person may not fish for or take herring between August 15th and September 28th from any area identified under subsection 1 as a herring spawning area.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to identify the location of all coastal waters that serve as spawning areas for herring. It also closes those areas to the harvest of herring from August 15th to September 28th.