Bill > LD44

This bill makes several modifications to elver (young eel) fishing regulations in Maine. The bill changes the elver fishing license lottery by shifting the lottery date from February to March and introducing a new requirement for applicants to complete an educational course on proper elver handling before receiving a license. The bill allows the commissioner to withhold up to 1% of the state's overall annual elver fishing quota before allocation and maintains the existing system of individual fishing quotas to ensure the state does not exceed its total allowable catch. The lottery application fee remains $35, with $25 dedicated to an Eel and Elver Management Fund to support a life-cycle study of the elver fishery, and $10 used to cover administrative costs of the lottery. The bill also clarifies that applicants may submit up to 5 lottery applications per year and that if licensed fishers collectively exceed their annual quota, the overage will be subtracted from future years' allocations. The new educational requirement aims to improve elver survival rates by ensuring fishers are trained in proper handling techniques before being permitted to fish.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=44&snum=132