An Act to Amend Provisions Regarding the Scallop Fishery License Apprentice Program, Licensing and Limited Access Areas
Summary
LD 1352 would revise several parts of Maine’s scallop fishery licensing and access framework. First, it would prohibit the scallop apprentice program from being run through a lottery and instead require the Department of Marine Resources to adopt rules for a non-lottery apprentice program that still includes an apprentice license for residents age 18 or older who drag for scallops under supervision. The bill also preserves the existing apprentice license fee and directs those fees into the Scallop Research Fund.
The bill further changes the state’s limited entry system for hand fishing and scallop dragging licenses. It keeps the rule that a new entrant may obtain one of those licenses only when an existing license terminates, and it requires the department to establish the method and administration of that system through routine technical rules. In addition, the bill repeals a prior provision and directs the department, by January 1, 2026, to adopt rules giving all holders of hand fishing scallop licenses and scallop dragging licenses equal access to limited access scallop fishing areas during the same period, rather than on a rotational basis.
Impact
If enacted, LD 1352 would amend Maine Revised Statutes Title 12 provisions governing scallop fishery apprenticeships, limited entry licensing, and access to limited access scallop fishing areas. It would eliminate lottery-based entry for the apprentice program, maintain the current fee structure for apprentice scallop dragging licenses, and require new administrative rules from the Department of Marine Resources. It would also change how licensed scallop harvesters access limited access areas by replacing rotational access with simultaneous equal access, affecting hand fishing and dragging license holders and the department’s rulemaking obligations.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee transcripts or votes, the available context suggests a policy-focused measure aimed at restructuring scallop fishery access rather than a broadly partisan or highly publicized proposal. The bill appears to reflect support for a more predictable and uniform licensing and access system for scallop harvesters, while also preserving state oversight through rulemaking by the Department of Marine Resources.
Contention
The main points of contention likely concern how new entrants are admitted to the scallop fishery and how access to limited fishing areas is allocated. Eliminating the apprentice lottery may be viewed as improving fairness and predictability by some stakeholders, while others may see it as reducing a mechanism for broadening entry. Likewise, replacing rotational access with equal access during the same period could benefit some license holders but may raise concerns among those who favor rotational management as a conservation or effort-distribution tool. The bill’s impact would primarily be felt by scallop apprentice applicants, hand fishing scallop license holders, scallop dragging license holders, and the Department of Marine Resources.