Maine Dept Scores Fishing Permit to Bypass Federal Regs
Published Date: 9/14/2026
Notice
Summary
The Assistant Regional Administrator for Sustainable Fisheries, Greater Atlantic Region, NMFS, has made a preliminary determination that an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) application contains all of the required information and warrants further consideration. The EFP would allow federally permitted fishing vessels to fish outside fishery regulations in support of exempted fishing activities proposed by the Maine Department of Marine Resources. Regulations under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the Atlantic Coastal Fisheries Cooperative Management Act require publication of this notification to provide interested parties the opportunity to comment on applications for proposed EFPs.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
Project Scale, Training, And Gear Support
The EFP would support up to 65 vessels (up to 7 gillnet vessels, remainder trap/pot) during 2027 and ME DMR or partners would distribute gear and train all participants. Scientific observers may join up to two trips per vessel, and any legal catch may be sold to a dealer.
Short Soak Trials Raise Effort, Lower CPUE
The geolocation component allows up to 10 single-day gear geolocation trials (maximum 150 gear retrievals) where trawls would soak no longer than 1 hour, which the notice says will increase trap/pot effort via short soaks and a high rate of retrieval while reducing catch per unit effort. The project also anticipates up to 6,240 trap/pot retrievals and up to 500 gillnet retrievals under the gear library component.
Temporary Exemption To Test Ropeless Gear
The Maine Department of Marine Resources applied for an Exempted Fishing Permit to let federally permitted vessels test on-demand (ropeless) retrieval systems by exempting them from 50 CFR 697.21(b)(2) and 50 CFR 648.84(b). The requested project would run from 01/01/2027 through 12/31/2027 and allow participating vessels to replace one traditional surface marking with alternative retrieval systems while keeping required markings on at least one end of trap trawls and on all gillnet gear.
Operational Rules, Reporting, And Data Privacy
ME DMR proposed safety and reporting measures for participants, including weekly mandatory gear-loss reporting, a 10-knot speed limit when transiting certain areas, use of Trap Tracker (or equivalent) for enforcement access to gear positions, and that individually identifiable data would only be shared with participant consent. Law enforcement would be notified of participants in advance.
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Key Dates
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