Bill > H841

This bill establishes a marine special activity license program in Massachusetts. The key provisions are: 1. The bill defines important terms such as "attract," "harvest," and "scientific research" related to marine organisms. 2. The Division of Marine Fisheries will grant special activity licenses for oceanic scientific research, including aquaculture, scientific/environmental/biological collection and study, and educational purposes, provided that research results are presented in sufficient detail, monitoring data is analyzed, and restoration/mitigation efforts are evaluated. 3. The director of the Division will review license applications based on criteria such as the applicant's eligibility, completeness of information, compliance with previous licenses, potential impacts, biological status of targeted species, and alignment with existing regulations and quotas. 4. Eligible applicants include principal investigators of scientific research projects, members of scientific/technical staff of marine research institutes or government agencies, and staff of certified aquaculture facilities. 5. There will be a non-refundable processing fee for the special activity license, and licensees must submit activity reports and copies of any resulting publications or reports to the Division.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H841