Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6446, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A. Declared lobster zone. A person shall declare on an application for a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license the lobster management zone in which that person proposes to fish a majority of that person's lobster traps. A license must identify the zone in which the person is authorized to fish a majority of that person's lobster traps.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6448 is enacted to read:

§6448. Limited-entry zones

1.__Definitions.__As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Declared lobster zone" means the zone identified on a lobster and crab fishing license pursuant to section 6446, subsection 1-A.

B. "Limited-entry zone" means a lobster management zone established pursuant to section 6446 for which rules establishing limits on new zone entrants have been adopted pursuant to subsection 2.

C. "New zone entrant" means a person who declares a limited- entry zone as that person's declared lobster zone but who did not hold in the previous licensing year a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license that identified that zone as the person's declared lobster zone.

2. Rules for limited-entry zones. A lobster management policy council may propose to the commissioner rules for a zone to establish limits on new zone entrants.__The commissioner may adopt rules for a lobster management zone that establish limits on new zone entrants only when the rules are proposed by the lobster management policy council established for that zone pursuant to section 6447, subsection 1.__The rules may establish an exit ratio of the number of individuals who held licenses in the year prior to the previous calendar year on which the zone was the declared lobster zone but did not renew those licenses in the previous calendar year with that zone as the declared lobster zone for one new zone entrant to be authorized under subsection 7.__Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.