Section 6952-A - Trawling, seining or netting for lobster1.Trawling, seining or netting for lobsters prohibited. A person may not: A. Fish for or take lobsters by use of a trawl, drag, dredge, seine or net; or [2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §21 (AMD).]B. Possess any lobsters, regardless of their source, on board any boat rigged for dragging, trawling, dredging, seining or netting. [2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §21 (AMD).] [2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §21 (AMD).]
2.Exception; liberated alive. A person does not violate this section if the lobster is immediately liberated alive in the coastal waters. [2003, c. 452, Pt. F, §36 (NEW); 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).]
3.Exceptions; boats. This section does not apply to: A. A boat rigged for dragging, trawling, dredging or seining if all nets, drags and dredges are removed from the boat; or [2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §22 (AMD).]B. A boat rigged for netting if there are no finfish taken by gill net aboard. [2003, c. 452, Pt. F, §36 (NEW); 2003, c. 452, Pt. X, §2 (AFF).] [2011, c. 266, Pt. A, §22 (AMD).]
4.Penalty for possession. A violation of this section is a Class D crime, except that in addition to any punishment that may be imposed under Title 17-A, Part 6, the court shall impose a fine of $500 for each violation and, in addition, a fine of $100 for each lobster involved, up to and including the first 5, and a fine of $200 for each lobster in excess of 5, or, if the number of lobsters cannot be determined, a fine of not less than $1,000 or more than $5,000. [2019, c. 113, Pt. C, §14 (AMD).]
Amended by 2019, c. 113,§ C-14, eff. 5/16/2019.Amended by 2014, c. 468,§ 42, eff. 3/13/2014.Amended by 2011, c. 266,§§ A-21, A-22, eff. 9/28/2011.2003, c. 452, §F36 (NEW) . 2003, c. 452, §X2 (AFF) . 2009, c. 394, § 14 (AMD) .