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An Act To Promote Youth Participation in the Maine Lobster Fishery
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§3-A, as amended by PL 2015, c. 68, §3, is further amended to read:
 
3-A. License limitation.   A license authorizes activities by individuals as follows.
 
A.  A Class I license authorizes the licensed activities under subsection 2 by the individual who is named in the license. AnyExcept as provided in subsection 4, paragraph C, any individual assisting or helping a Class I license holder in these activities must also be licensed.
 
B.  A Class II license authorizes the license holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2. AIn addition to persons authorized to assist under subsection 4, paragraph C, a Class II license holder may engage one unlicensed crew member to assist in the licensed activities under the direct supervision of the Class II license holder, except as provided in section 6445-A.
 
C.  A Class III license authorizes the license holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2. AIn addition to persons authorized to assist under subsection 4, paragraph C, a Class III license holder may engage 2 unlicensed crew members to assist in the licensed activities under the direct supervision of the Class III license holder, except as provided in section 6445-A.
 
D.  An apprentice lobster and crab fishing license authorizes the apprentice so licensed to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2 on that apprentice's sponsor's vessel when the apprentice's sponsor is on board the vessel. A person who holds an apprentice lobster and crab fishing license may not tend any traps unless the traps are fished by the sponsor of the apprentice so licensed. An applicant for an apprentice lobster and crab fishing license may designate up to 3 sponsors. For the purpose of this paragraph, "apprentice's sponsor" means a person who holds a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license issued under this section.
 
E.  A student license authorizes the license holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2. A student license may be issued only to a person who, at the time of application, is 8 years of age or older and under 23 years of age. A person issued a student license may not submerge more than:
 
(1) Ten lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State if the person is 8 years of age or older and under 11 years of age;
 
(2) Fifty lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State if the person is 11 years of age or older and under 14 years of age; or
 
(3) One hundred and fifty lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State if the person is 14 years of age or older and under 23 years of age.
 
A person issued a student license is enrolled in the apprentice program under section 6422. When applying for a license the person must designate a sponsor and may designate up to 3 sponsors. For the purposes of this paragraph, "sponsor" means a person who holds a Class I, Class II or Class III lobster and crab fishing license issued under this section.
 
F.  A noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license authorizes the license holder to engage in the licensed activities under subsection 2-A. A person issued a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license may not submerge at any one time more than 5 lobster traps in the coastal waters of the State. At the time a noncommercial lobster and crab fishing license is issued or renewed, the applicant or license holder shall declare the vessel that will be used to conduct lobster and crab fishing activities under that license. The license holder's trap tags are allocated to that vessel, pursuant to the license. The department is not authorized to issue more than 10 noncommercial trap tags to the declared vessel, regardless of the number of noncommercial license holders fishing from that vessel.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §6421, sub-§4, as amended by PL 2011, c. 5, §1, is further amended to read:
 
4. Exception.   A license is not required for a person:
 
A. To take or catch crabs with bare hands or hook and line; or
 
B. Who is issued a commercial fishing license under section 6501 to take, possess and sell crabs that have been taken as bycatch while using an otter trawl within the exclusive economic zone as shown on the most recently published Federal Government nautical chart. Crabs taken by otter trawl within the territorial waters must be liberated alive immediately.; or
 
C.  To assist in the licensed activities authorized under subsection 2 under the direct supervision of a Class I, Class II or Class III license holder if that person is 12 years of age or younger.

SUMMARY
This bill allows an unlicensed person 12 years of age or younger to assist a Class I, II or III lobster and crab fishing license holder with licensed activities.