Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6431-B, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 468, §5, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

§6431-B.__Tag system

1.__Tag rules established.__The commissioner shall establish by rule a lobster trap tag system under which lobster and crab fishing license holders must purchase tags for the purpose of identifying and tracking traps.__The rules must contain provisions for replacing lost tags.__The commissioner may impose a per-tag fee to cover the cost of trap tags, the costs of administering and enforcing a lobster trap tag system and the costs associated with lobster management policy councils and referenda pursuant to section 6447.__Trap tag fees must be deposited in the Lobster Management Fund established under section 6431-C.

2.__Intrafamily tag transfers.__By November 1, 2001, the rules must permit the transfer of up to the legal number of lobster trap tags for the zone fished from a grandparent to a grandchild or from a parent to a child as long as:

A.__The grandchild or child has met the requirements of the apprenticeship program under section 6422;

B.__The grandchild or child is actively fishing the zone; and

C.__The grandparent or parent has cancelled and returned to the department the grandparent's or parent's lobster and crab fishing license.

3.__Routine technical rules.__Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the Department of Marine Resources to establish by rule provisions for allowing the transfer of up to the legal number of lobster trap tags from a grandparent or parent to a grandchild or child. The grandchild or child must have met the requirements of the apprenticeship program and be actively fishing the zone and the grandparent or parent must have retired that person's lobster and crab fishing license.