Maine § 6525-A. - Setting near weirs or stop seines

§ 6525-A.. Setting near weirs or stop seines

1.  Setting nets or seines near weirs.   A person, other than a weir owner or the weir owner's crew members, may not set or assist in setting a net or seine within 2,000 feet of the mouth of a weir that is:

A. In operating condition;   [PL 2023, c. 405, Pt. A, §26 (NEW).]

B. Licensed under Title 38, chapter 9; and   [PL 2023, c. 405, Pt. A, §26 (NEW).]

C. Operated by an operator who is licensed under section 6501.   [PL 2023, c. 405, Pt. A, §26 (NEW).]

2.  Exception.  Stop seining is permitted in any cove that does not have a weir even when the seine is less than 2,000 feet from a weir in another cove.

3.  Cove name and designation.  The commissioner shall prepare a map of areas of the State where weirs are used as a method of fishing that fixes the location of each weir and designates the boundaries of each cove in which those weirs are located. The map must be provided to municipalities by the commissioner. Owners of licensed weirs and applicants for a license may receive a map at cost. When an applicant for a license finds no designation on the map of cove boundaries for the cove where the applicant wants to construct a weir, the municipal officers from the city or town within which the weir will be located shall notify the commissioner of the intended location of the weir on the map. The commissioner shall designate boundaries for the cove.

4.  Limitation on location of weirs.  Weirs shall be licensed according to the following.

A. After the effective date of this Act, no weir may be licensed for construction which is less than 2,000 feet from an existing weir.   [PL 1983, c. 731, §2 (NEW).]

B. Weirs which were licensed in 1983 and preceding years may continue to be licensed even when they are located less than 2,000 feet from an existing weir.   [PL 1983, c. 731, §2 (NEW).]

C. Any weir licensed in 1983 and preceding years for which the license expired as provided in section 1023 shall be required to be licensed as a new weir as provided in paragraph A.   [PL 1983, c. 731, §2 (NEW).]

5.  Limitation on purse seining.  No person may purse seine within 2,000 feet of a licensed weir in operating condition, except that no person may purse seine for herring within one mile of a weir in operating condition that is licensed prior to the effective date of this section.