An Act To Clarify Fishing Laws between the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Department of Marine Resources as They Relate to Striped Bass in Inland Waters
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §12602, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2017, c. 150, §5, is further amended to read:
2. Possess fish in violation of certain rules. Possess fish in violation of the number, amount, weight or size limits established by rules adopted by the commissioner; or
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §12602, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 150, §5, is amended to read:
3. Alter fish from their natural state prior to measuring for bag limit. When rules adopted by the commissioner limit the volume of fish that may be taken, alter those fish from or possess fish altered from their natural state prior to their being measured for compliance with the volume limit . ; or
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §12602, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4. Fish striped bass in violation or possess striped bass in violation of certain Department of Marine Resources rules. Fish striped bass in violation or possess striped bass in violation of the number, amount or size limits established by rule adopted by the Commissioner of Marine Resources under section 6171.
summary
This bill eliminates duplicative rulemaking by prohibiting the fishing or possession of striped bass taken from the inland waters of the State in violation of rules adopted by the Commissioner of Marine Resources.