Maine § 6749-X. - Sea Urchin Zone Council

§ 6749-X.. Sea Urchin Zone Council

1.  Appointment and election; composition.  The Sea Urchin Zone Council, referred to in this section as the "council," established by Title 5, section 12004-I, subsection 57-B, consists of 15 members. Seven members of the council are elected by the sea urchin industry as follows:

A. One sea urchin harvester who holds a current handfishing sea urchin license for Zone 1;   [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (AMD).]

B. One sea urchin harvester who holds a current handfishing sea urchin license for Zone 2;   [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (AMD).]

C. One sea urchin harvester who holds a current sea urchin draggers license for Zone 1;   [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (AMD).]

D. One sea urchin harvester who holds a current sea urchin draggers license for Zone 2;   [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (AMD).]

E. One individual who holds a current wholesale seafood license with a sea urchin buyer's permit;   [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (AMD).]

F. One individual who holds a current wholesale seafood license with a sea urchin processor's permit ; and   [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (AMD).]

G. [PL 1999, c. 244, §5 (RP).]

H. [PL 1999, c. 244, §5 (RP).]

I. [PL 2007, c. 176, §2 (RP).]

J. One sea urchin harvester who holds a current boat tender's license.   [PL 1997, c. 685, §10 (NEW).]

The commissioner shall appoint the remaining 8 members. If possible, those 8 appointees must include, but not be limited to, a marine scientist, an aquaculturalist, a person holding a sea urchin draggers license, a person holding a sea urchin and scallop diving tender license and a person holding a sea urchin hand-raking and trapping license. In making appointments under this subsection, the commissioner shall select members to ensure a geographic distribution of representation from each zone.  

1-A.  Elections.  The commissioner shall adopt by rule procedures for conducting the election of members required under subsection 1. Rules adopted under this subsection are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.

2.  Term.  Council members serve for 2 years and continue serving until a successor is duly appointed or elected and qualified. When a vacancy occurs of an appointed member, the commissioner shall fill the vacancy by appointing a member from the same category of members listed in subsection 1 as the member who vacated the council. When a vacancy occurs of an elected member, the vacancy must be filled by an election as provided by rule.

3.  Purpose.  The council shall make recommendations to the commissioner concerning:

A. The designation of open days for the harvesting of sea urchins by handfishing, dragging, hand-raking and trapping pursuant to rules adopted under section 6749;   [PL 2003, c. 510, Pt. A, §8 (AMD).]

B. Research projects and grants funded by the Sea Urchin Research Fund under section 6749-R. The council may seek advice from scientists who have expertise in marine resource management in determining the research needs for the sea urchin fishery;   [PL 1999, c. 244, §6 (AMD).]

C. Other matters of interest to the sea urchin fishery; and   [PL 1997, c. 685, §11 (AMD).]

D. The ratio of the number of new licenses issued to the number of the licenses not renewed.   [PL 1997, c. 685, §12 (NEW).]

4.  Chair and officers.  The council shall annually choose one of its members to serve as chair for a one-year term. The council may select other officers and designate their duties.

5.  Meetings.  The council shall meet at least once each year. The council may also meet at other times at the call of the chair or the chair's designee or the call of the commissioner or the commissioner's designee.

6.  Compensation.  Members are entitled to compensation according to Title 5, chapter 379.