Code of Maine Rules
13 - DEPARTMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES
188 - MARINE RESOURCES - GENERAL
Chapter 41 - MENHADEN
Section 188-41-05 - Prohibitions

1. It is unlawful to fish for, take, possess, or land menhaden except from Maine's territorial waters.

2. It is unlawful to fish for, take or land menhaden except between May 1 and November 30, both days inclusive.

3. It is unlawful to fish for or take Atlantic menhaden by vessels rigged with a midwater, otter or beam trawl net in Maine territorial waters.

4. It is unlawful to use a vessel to fish for or take menhaden that exceeds 50 feet overall length as shown on the vessel's current USCG documentation or State registration.

5. It is unlawful for any vessel other than the harvester vessel that made the set to remove fish from the purse seine or gillnet. If more than one vessel is used to set the seine or net, only the vessel from which the seine or net was removed may take or possess menhaden from the seine or net.

Exception: A vessel listed on a Commercial Menhaden License holder's license, other than the harvester vessel that made the set, may remove fish from a purse seine under the conditions of an approved Designated Partnership Agreement as specified in 41.06.

6. It is unlawful for the holder of a menhaden license to take menhaden using a gear type not authorized for their license type, as specified in either section 41.30 or 41.40. Permitted gears include anchored/staked gillnets, bait gillnets, cast nets, drift gill nets, fish weirs, floating fish traps, fyke nets, hand seines, hand lines, hook and line, stop seines, pots, pound nets, and purse seines. Permitted gears are dependent upon which commercial fishery phase is open.