Maine § 6823. - Changing sea cucumber management areas

§ 6823.. Changing sea cucumber management areas

This section applies if management areas are established pursuant to section 6814.   [PL 2005, c. 27, §4 (NEW).]

1.  Authorization of changes.  Beginning in calendar year 2007, a person eligible to purchase a sea cucumber drag license under section 6821 who wishes to change the management area in which the person harvests sea cucumbers may not change management areas unless the change is authorized by the commissioner in accordance with this section.

2.  Management area change request on application.  A person eligible to purchase a sea cucumber drag license under section 6821 who wishes to change the management area in which that person was licensed to harvest sea cucumbers in the previous calendar year must indicate on a sea cucumber drag license application form a preference to change the management area in which the person harvests sea cucumbers. The commissioner shall stamp each sea cucumber drag license application form with the time and date of submission.

3.  Conditions for authorization.  A request to change management areas is authorized based on the commissioner's assessment of the ability of the management area to sustain additional fishing effort. The commissioner shall authorize management area change requests in chronological order of requests received under this section.

4.  Limitation on approving management area change.  The commissioner may not authorize a management area change during the period from October 1st to June 30th.

5.  Effective date of management area change.  The effective date of a management area change authorized by the commissioner is October 1st.