Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6446, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 468, §8, is amended to read:

1. Establishment of zones. The commissioner may establish by rule zones to facilitate local or regional management of lobster fishery efforts. A lobster management zone may not extend beyond 3 nautical miles from the coastline of the State.

Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6446, sub-§1-A, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 508, §1, is amended 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. When fishing beyond 3 nautical miles of the coastline of the State, a license holder is not limited to fishing a majority of that person's traps within that person's declared lobster zone.

Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §6446, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 468, §8, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

3. Application of zone rules.__Rules adopted for a zone pursuant to subsection 2 apply to a person who holds a license under section 6421 and who fishes for lobsters in more than one zone as follows.

A. When fishing within 3 nautical miles of the coastline of the State, a license holder is subject to the most restrictive rules regarding the number of lobster traps allowed on a trawl and the time of day when lobster fishing may occur adopted for any zone in which the license holder fishes.__Such rules do not apply beyond 3 nautical miles of the coastline of the State.

B. When fishing within 3 nautical miles of the coastline of the State, a license holder is subject to the most restrictive rules regarding the number of lobster traps fished and the time periods allowed for complying with that number adopted for any zone in which the license holder fishes.__When fishing beyond 3 nautical miles of the coastline of the State, a license holder is subject to the rules adopted for the zone declared by the license holder as the zone in which the person fishes a majority of that person's lobster traps.