Rules adopted by the commissioner pursuant to this section are routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to classify elver fishing rivers, brooks and streams as Class I, Class II or Class III elver waters, based on the flow volume of the watercourse. Elver harvesting on Class I and Class II rivers is limited to dip nets. Municipalities may petition the commissioner to close elver fishing on Class I waters. Elvers may be harvested on Class III waters with elver fyke nets, Sheldon eel traps and dip nets. In addition, elver fishing on Class III waters must alternate banks each year.

The bill establishes separate elver fishing licenses for Class I, Class II and Class III waters.

The bill also requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to determine the number of dip net licenses that may be issued annually under the licenses for Class I, Class II and Class III waters. If the number of dip net license applications for a license category exceeds the number of license openings for that category, the commissioner must hold a lottery to determine who may obtain a license in that category. A person issued a dip net license may utilize only one dip net.

The bill requires the Commissioner of Marine Resources to establish elver fyke net sites in Class III waters. If more than one person chooses a particular site, the person's names are entered into a general lottery for elver fyke net sites. A person issued a Class III license may use only 2 elver fyke nets, 2 Sheldon eel traps or one elver fyke net and one Sheldon eel trap.