| | Emergency preamble. Whereas, Acts of the Legislature do not become | effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as | emergencies; and |
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| | Whereas, a lifelong interest in recreational sport fishing | begins with children who have the opportunity to fish; and |
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| | Whereas, current sport fishing rules unreasonably restrict the | opportunity for a child to fish with a single baited hook and | line; and |
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| | Whereas, such opportunities must be in place as quickly as | possible; and |
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| | Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create | an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and | require the following legislation as immediately necessary for | the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, | therefore, |
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| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7557-A is enacted to read: |
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| §7557-A.__Quality fishing rivers; identification; open to persons |
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| under 12 years of age fishing with a single baited hook |
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| | Rules adopted by the commissioner that set forth the special | fishing rules for inland waters of the State must list together | and in one place all rivers or river segments identified by the | department as quality fishing rivers.__Notwithstanding any | special rules on those quality fishing rivers adopted under this | Part, a person under 12 years of age may, during the open water | fishing season, fish with a single baited hook and line from the | bank of any river or river segment identified by the commissioner | as a quality fishing river.__Rules adopted pursuant to this | section are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter | 375, subchapter II-A. |
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| | Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, | this Act takes effect when approved. |
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| | This bill specifies that the Department of Inland Fisheries | and Wildlife must list in its special fishing rules all rivers or | river segments identified as quality fishing rivers. For easy | reference those rivers must be listed together and in one |
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