13-188-8 Me. Code R. § 20

Current through 2024-51, December 18, 2024

Section 188-8-20 - Harvester Reporting

A.Green Crabs(repealed)

B.Sea Cucumber(previously Chapter 27.03(F))

Each holder of a sea cucumber endorsement is required to report fishing activity and landings on forms supplied by the Department. Reporting is required on a daily basis and must be mailed to the Department weekly. No fishing activity will be reported as "did not fish" on the forms. The reports must include the following information:

1. Location or locations of fishing activity by longitude and latitude

2. Date(s) fished

3. Time at sea

4. Time fished

5. Catch in pounds or totes

6. Number of tows

7. Port of landings

8. Name of buyer and date of sale

9. Price in pounds or totes

10. Approximate depth(s) where fishing occurred

11. Length of tows in minutes

C.Seaweed(previously Chapter 29.10)

Each seaweed harvester required to be licensed under 12 M.R.S. § 6803 must report harvesting activity for all seaweed species on forms supplied by the Department. Records must be kept on a daily basis, and the report must be mailed to the Department monthly. Reports for each month's activity shall be mailed to the Department within 10 days of the end of the month. The report must include the following information for each day that harvesting occurs:

1. Name, permit number and phone number of licensed harvester;

2. Date(s) harvested;

3. Harvest area (sector # - where applicable), bay, cove, river, ledge and or island);

4. County and town (use town codes provided, per instructions);

5. Harvesting methods (hand, knife, rake, mechanical, diver);

6. Total harvest time (number of hours);

7. Seaweed species; and

8. Pounds landed (wet).

D.Horseshoe Crabs(previously Chapter 31.05(A))

Holders of a horseshoe crab permit must report annually by November 1 to the Department on the total number of horseshoe crabs harvested, along with such other information as the Commissioner deems necessary for the conservation and management of the horseshoe crab resource.

E.Eel Harvest(previously Chapter 32.04)

Any person holding an eel harvesting license is required to report fishing activity and landings on forms supplied by the Department. Reporting is required on a daily basis and must be mailed to the Department monthly. No fishing activity will be reported as "did not fish" on the forms. The reports must include the following information:

1. Harvester name, year of harvest, license number, and phone number;

2. Date(s) harvested;

3. Gear type and quantity;

4. Set time (hours);

5. Species;

6. Total weight (pounds or kilograms) of harvested eels for the set time;

7. Disposition of catch (food or bait);

8. Port landed;

9. Dealer sold to; and

10. Area fished (river; embayment; offshore bycatch).

The data will be summarized by the Department and will be made available on request to the public 45 days after the receipt of the data forms in accordance with the confidentiality provision of 12 M.R.S.§ 6173.

F.Atlantic halibut(previously in Chapter 34.10(1)(B)(4)(b)(vi))

Persons who are authorized to commercially fish for Atlantic halibut in the territorial waters of Maine will be required to submit trip level catch reports on a weekly basis during the halibut season for landings from Maine's territorial waters. If no halibut landings occurred during the week, a negative catch report is required. The reporting week begins on Sunday at 0001 hrs. (12:01 a.m.) local time and ends Saturday at 2400 hrs. (12:00 midnight). Reports must be submitted by midnight Monday, two days after the end of each reporting week, including the week following the last day of the season. Harvesters shall submit catch reports to DMR through an approved electronic reporting mechanism. The catch report must include the following information:

1. Harvester name & landings number

2. Boat name and hull ID

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain)

6. Gear type and quantity

7. Number of sets

8. Set time (hours gear fished)

8-A. Total number of hooks fished

9. Depth (in fathoms)

10. Area fished

11. Sea time (including steaming time)

12. Species caught including bycatch and sub-legal halibut, quantity & unit of measurement

13. Total length of halibut retained or released

14. Research tag number of halibut released or recaptured

15. Landings number of dealer sold to or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch

16. Port landed

17. Signature written or electronic

G.(Intentionally blank)

H.(Intentionally blank)

I.Shrimp(previously Chapter 45.24)

All Maine licensed shrimp harvesters must report daily fishing information for shrimp that are landed in Maine, to the Department, according to written instructions on forms provided by the Department. Fishing vessel trip reports must include the following information:

1. vessel name;

2. vessel state registration number (or United States Coast Guard Documentation Number);

3. vessel permit number;

4. date/time sailed;

5. trip type;

6. number of crew;

7. gear fished;

8. mesh size;

9. quantity and size of gear;

10. chart area fished;

11. average depth;

12. latitude/longitude;

13. total hauls per area fished;

14. average tow/soak time;

15. pounds by species of all species landed or discarded;

16. dealer permit number;

17. dealer name;

18. date sold;

19. port and state landed;

20. date/time landed;

21. vessel operator's name;

22. signature;

23. shrimp license number; and

24. any other information or instructions deemed necessary.

J.Shellfish Bait Permit(previously in Chapter 49)

All shellfish bait permit holders are required to provide the Department the following information on forms supplied by the Department:

1. Daily record of sales;

2. Record of closed areas fished;

3. Ports landed; and

4. Daily record of clams harvested by shucked weight.

K.(Intentionally blank)

L.Elver Harvest

Any person holding an elver harvesting license is required to report fishing activity and landings on forms supplied by the Department. Reporting is required on a daily basis and must be mailed to the Department monthly. No fishing activity will be reported as "did not fish" on the forms. The reports must include the following information:

1. Harvester name, year of harvest, license number, and phone number;

2. Date(s) harvested;

3. Gear type and quantity;

4. Set time (hours);

5. Species;

6. Total weight (pounds or kilograms) of harvested eels for the set time;

7. Port landed;

8. Dealer sold to; and

9. Area fished (river; embayment; offshore bycatch).

M.Menhaden Harvest

Any person that holds a commercial menhaden fishing license under 12 M.R.S. § 6502-C must submit daily catch reports during the state and episodic fisheries; and, weekly catch reports during the small scale fishery. Catches from fixed gear must be included in these reports. Any person that holds more than one commercial menhaden fishing license must report for each license they hold. Any person that holds a noncommercial menhaden fishing license under 12 M.R.S. § 6502-C must submit daily catch reports weekly. Reports are required even if the menhaden caught during the week have not been landed. The report shall include the following data elements:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and landings number

2. Boat name and state vessel registration number or Coast Guard number (if a boat was used)

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain)

6. Gear type and quantity

7. Number of sets/tows

8. Set time (the average time your gear fished)

9. Average depth

10. Latitude and longitude

11. Sea time (including travel)

12. Pounds by species of all species caught (including discards)

13. Landings number of dealer sold to, or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch and whether catch was carred

14. Port landed

15. Signature written or electronic

N.Lobster Harvest

Effective January 1, 2023

A. Any person that holds a license that authorizes that person to fish for lobster except for noncommercial and apprentice licenses, must report trip level fishing activity. The following data elements must be reported to the DMR through approved electronic reporting mechanisms:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and license number

2. Boat name and hull ID

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished

5. Number of crew

6. Gear type and number of traps hauled

7. Set time (hours the gear soaked)

8. Total gear in water

9. Depth

10. Primary Statistical area, lobster zone and 10 minute square where gear hauled this trip was fished

11. Sea time (including travel)

12. Pounds of species landed

13. License of dealer sold to or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch and whether catch was carred

14. Port landed

15. Signature, written or electronic

16. Number of strings hauled. For purposes of this section, a string means a single trap or multiple traps connected by a groundline.

17. Number of endlines - Count of total endlines in the water

B. All data sent to DMR must be legible, coherent and in conformance with DMR specified standards.

O.Scallop Harvest

Any person that holds a license that authorizes that person to fish for scallops must report trip level fishing activity once per week no later than 11:59 p.m. Sunday for any landings occurring from Monday 12:01 a.m. through Sunday 11:59 p.m. If no landings occur during the week, a negative landing report is required. The following data elements must be reported to the DMR through approved electronic reporting mechanisms:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and license number

2. Boat name and hull ID

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain)

6. Gear type and quantity

7. Number of sets/tows/dives

8. Set time (average time fished per set/tow or average dive time)

9. Average depth

10. Latitude/longitude

11. Sea time (including travel)

12. Pounds of species landed

13. License of dealer sold to, or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch and whether catch was carred

14. Port landed

15. Signature, written or electronic

P.Urchin Harvest

Any person that holds a handfishing sea urchin license, sea urchin hand-raking and trapping license or sea urchin dragger license (12 M.R.S. § 6748, § 6748-A or § 6748- D) must report detailed trip and area level fishing activity on forms supplied by the Department. The following data elements must be reported to the DMR on approved paper forms or through approved electronic reporting mechanisms:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and license number

2. Boat name and hull ID

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain and all divers)

6. Gear type

7. Number of sets/tows/dives

8. Set time (average time fished per set/tow or average dive time)

9. Type of habitat

10. Average depth

11. Latitude/longitude

12. Sea time (including travel)

13. Pounds of urchins landed

14. License number of dealer sold to

15. Port landed

16. Signature, written or electronic

Q.Pelagic and Anadromous Fishing Harvest

Any person who holds a license that authorizes that person to fish for the species authorized by the Commercial Pelagic and Anadromous fishing license must report trip level fishing activity on forms supplied by the Department. The following data elements must be reported to the DMR on approved paper forms or through approved electronic reporting mechanisms:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and landings number

2. Boat name and state vessel registration number or Coast Guard number (if a boat was used)

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain)

6. Gear type and quantity

7. Number of sets/tows

8. Set time (the average time your gear fished)

9. Average depth

10. Latitude and longitude

11. Sea time (including travel)

12. Pounds by species of all species authorized by the Commercial Pelagic and Anadromous license caught (including discards)

13. Landings number of dealer sold to, or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch and whether catch was carred

14. Port landed

15. Signature written or electronic

R.Herring Harvester Permit

Any person that holds a license that authorizes that person to fish for herring must submit trip level catch reports b 11:59 p.m. daily between June 1 and December 30; and monthly outside of the season. Catches from fixed gear must be included in these reports. Any person that holds more than one license that authorizes that person to fish for herring must report for each license they hold. Reports are required even if the herring caught during the week have not been landed. The report shall include the following data elements:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and landings number

2. Boat name and state vessel registration number or Coast Guard number (if a boat was used)

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain)

6. Gear type and quantity

7. Number of sets/tows

8. Set time (the average time your gear fished)

9. Average depth

10. Latitude and longitude

11. Sea time (including travel)

12. Pounds by species of all species caught (including discards)

13. Landings number of dealer sold to, or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch and whether catch was carred

14. Port landed

15. Signature written or electronic

Atlantic herring reports are not required from Atlantic herring carrier vessels.

S.Aquaculture License Holder

Effective January 1, 2021 any person that holds an Aquaculture License issued under 12 MRS § 6810-B and is authorized to grow any species other than finfish on a lease issued under 12 MRS § 6072, § 6072-A or § 6072-B or a license issued under 12 MRS § 6072-C must report harvesting activity to the Department. The following data elements must be reported to the DMR on approved paper forms or through approved electronic reporting mechanisms:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the aquaculture license)

2. Landings number

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Year of report

5. Month of report

6. LPA or Site ID

7. Species

8. Quantity

9. Quantity Unit

10. Price (Average)

11. Price Unit

12. Landings number of dealer sold to, or if not sold to a licensed dealer, the disposition of the harvest

13. Port landed

14. Signature, written or electronic

T.Mussel Harvest

Effective January 1, 2022, any person that holds a hand-raking mussel license or a mussel boat license issued under 12 M.R.S. § 6745 or § 6746 must report trip level fishing activity on forms supplied by the Department. The following data elements must be reported to the DMR on approved paper forms or through approved electronic reporting mechanisms:

1. Harvester name (as it appears on the harvesting license) and license number

2. Boat name and hull ID

3. Designate negative report period if no harvesting activity occurred

4. Date fished & landed

5. Number of crew (including captain)

6. Gear type and quantity

7. Number of sets/tows

8. Set time (average time fished per set/tow or average time raking)

9. Average depth

10. Latitude/longitude

11. Sea time (including travel)

12. Pounds of species landed

13. License of dealer sold to, or if not sold to a licensed dealer, disposition of catch

14. Port landed

15. Signature, written or electronic

13-188 C.M.R. ch. 8, § 20