Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6501, sub-§6, as amended by PL 1997, c. 19, §5, is further amended to read:

6. Definition. For the purposes of this chapter, "fish" means all marine finfish, and squid and shrimp or other marine animals, except lobsters, crabs, sea urchins, shellfish, scallops, marine worms, elvers or, eels or shrimp.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §§6804 and 6805 are enacted to read:

§6804.__Commercial shrimp permit

1.__License; permit required.__It is unlawful for any person to engage in the activities authorized by a permit under this section without a current commercial fishing license and a commercial shrimp permit.

2.__Licensed activities.__The holder of a commercial shrimp permit may fish for or take shrimp or possess, ship, transport or sell shrimp that the license holder has taken.__The permits issued under subsection 7, paragraphs B and C authorize the captain and crew members aboard the permit holder's boat to undertake these activities in the absence of the permit holder when the boat is engaged in commercial shrimp fishing.

3.__Boat declaration.__The permit holder must declare the name of the vessel to be used for fishing under the commercial shrimp permit at the time of application for the permit and may not change that declaration during the license year unless the original vessel is sold and replaced, has been damaged and will be under repair for not less than one month or has been destroyed or lost.

4.__Reporting.__Failure to report statistics required by rule adopted by the department is cause to deny renewal of a permit issued under this section.

5.__Exemption.__This section does not apply to individuals fishing, possessing or transporting shrimp taken for personal use.

6.__Eligibility.__A commercial shrimp permit may be issued only to an individual.

7.__Fees.__Fees for the commercial shrimp permit are as follows:

A.__Thirty-three dollars for a resident boat operator;