Maine Revised Statutes
Chapter 627: GENERAL PROHIBITIONS
12 §6952-A. Trawling, seining or netting for lobster

§6952-A. Trawling, seining or netting for lobster
1. Trawling, seining or netting for lobsters prohibited. A person may not:
A. Fish for or take lobsters by use of a trawl, drag, dredge, seine or net; or [PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §21 (AMD).]
B. Possess any lobsters, regardless of their source, on board any boat rigged for dragging, trawling, dredging, seining or netting. [PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §21 (AMD).]
[PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §21 (AMD).]
2. Exception; liberated alive. A person does not violate this section if the lobster is immediately liberated alive in the coastal waters.
[PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. F, §36 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
3. Exceptions; boats. This section does not apply to:
A. A boat rigged for dragging, trawling, dredging or seining if all nets, drags and dredges are removed from the boat; or [PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §22 (AMD).]
B. A boat rigged for netting if there are no finfish taken by gill net aboard. [PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. F, §36 (NEW); PL 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
[PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §22 (AMD).]
4. Penalty for possession. A violation of this section is a Class D crime, except that in addition to any punishment that may be imposed under Title 17‑A, Part 6, the court shall impose a fine of $500 for each violation and, in addition, a fine of $100 for each lobster involved, up to and including the first 5, and a fine of $200 for each lobster in excess of 5, or, if the number of lobsters cannot be determined, a fine of not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000.
[PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §14 (AMD).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 2003, c. 452, §F36 (NEW). PL 2003, c. 452, §X2 (AFF). PL 2009, c. 394, §14 (AMD). PL 2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §§21, 22 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 468, §42 (AMD). PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §14 (AMD).