PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill in section 5 in §6038 in subsection 1 in the first line (page 2, line 16 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "registrations" the following: 'pursuant to section 10206, subsection 3'
Amend the bill by inserting after section 8 the following:
‘Sec. 9. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§7-A, ¶I,  as enacted by PL 2007, c. 201, §11, is amended to read:
 
I. Two thousand forty-seven dollars and twenty-five centsFive hundred dollars for a nonresident lobster and crab landing permit.’
Amend the bill by inserting after section 11 the following:
‘Sec. 12. 12 MRSA §6455, sub-§5, ¶F,  as enacted by PL 2007, c. 201, §19, is amended to read:
 
F. Nonresident lobster and crab landing permits, $93.75$250.
Sec. 13. 12 MRSA §6474, sub-§7,  as enacted by PL 1997, c. 574, §4, is amended to read:
 
7. Periods of registration.   Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area trap tag registrations are valid as follows.
 
A.  A person registered under subsection 3 is registered for the entire period from the effective date of this section until July 31, 1999, unless that person notifies the commissioner by November 30, 1998 that the person chooses to not be registered.
 
B.  A person registered under subsection 4, paragraph A or B is registered for the entire period from August 1st of the year of registration until the following July 31st.
 
C.  A person registered under subsection 4, paragraph C is registered for the entire period from the date of registration until the following July 31st.
 
D.  A person registered under section 5 through the reinstatement of a suspended license is registered for the entire period from the date of license reinstatement until the following July 31st.’
Amend the bill in section 13 in subsection 1 by striking out all of paragraph B (page 4, lines 37 to 39 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
 
‘B. The commissioner may grant an exception to this subsection within federal requirements for the purpose of conducting research on dead marine animals.’
Amend the bill in section 14 by striking out all of §6746-A (page 5, lines 2 to 4 in L.D.) and inserting the following:
‘§ 6746-A.  Night prohibition
A person may not fish for or take mussels pursuant to section 6746 between sunset and sunrise within the territorial waters except that the commissioner may authorize the harvest of seed mussels during those times.’
Amend the bill by inserting after section 19 the following:
‘Sec. 20. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
MARINE RESOURCES, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Bureau of Resource Management 0027
 
Initiative: Establishes the Halibut Fund and allocates funds for halibut research and implementation of management measures needed for the halibut fishery.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2007-08	2008-09	
All Other	$0	$10,763	
 	  	  	
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$0	$10,763	
 
’
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section number to read consecutively.
 
SUMMARY
This amendment reduces the fee for a nonresident lobster and crab landing permit from $2,047.25 to $500 and increases the surcharge on that license from $93.75 to $250. Money raised from the surcharge on that license goes into the Lobster Promotion Fund.
It makes a technical change to the law regarding lobster fishing in the Monhegan Lobster Conservation Area.
It authorizes the Commissioner of Marine Resources to grant an exception for research purposes to the law prohibiting a person from depositing a dead marine animal in the intertidal zone.
It limits the prohibition in the bill for harvesting mussels between sunset and sunrise to draggers and authorizes the Commissioner of Marine Resources to allow the harvest of mussels during that time in areas designated as seed mussel areas.
It adds an appropriations and allocations section to the bill.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)