Lobster Zone Councils and Lobster Advisory Council
The MLA believes that fishermen deserve a seat at the table when it comes to making decisions about how the lobster resource is managed. For that reason, we were instrumental in establishing the zone council system and continue to support the zone council process and the Lobster Advisory Council.
In 1995, the Maine Legislature established the
Lobster Zone Councils
and granted them 3 decision making authorities, as long as the decisions are more strict than current law:
- Number of traps fished
- How traps are used – singles, pairs or more
- Time and day of fishing
In 2000, the Legislature established a limited entry system for Lobster Zone Councils allowing each zone to vote to establish exit/entry ratios based on the number of licenses retiring each year. In 2005, the Legislature further granted the zones the authority to control entry through other methods:
- Increase the length of time an apprentice must be enrolled in the Apprentice Program up to a max of 5 years
- Specify that a sponsor of an Apprentice must have held a Class I, II or III license for at least 5 years
- Require that a person who completed the apprenticeship program may enter lobster zone only if he apprenticed in that zone.
Zone councils can only exercise these authorities upon 2/3 approval by voting license holders, and must be approved through the state’s rulemaking process.
The Lobster Advisory Council
consists of representatives from each of the 7 lobster zones as well as dealers and public members. The LAC provides advice to the Commissioner of Marine Resources and the Legislature’s Marine Resources Committee on issues that relate to the lobster industry. The LAC also provides advice on research priorities and can aid in resolving disputes among lobster zones.
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