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Commercial Fisheries News
Volume 34 Number 2
October 2006
ME DMR seeks comment on apprentice safety education rule
HALLOWELL, ME – Maine lobstermen now have the opportunity to comment on new draft regulations for the Lobster Apprentice Program that will implement a recommendation by the state’s Commercial Fishing Safety Council.
The Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is proposing to require people currently in the apprentice program or on a waiting list to complete a vessel safety education course in order to become eligible for a state Class I, II, or III lobster and crab fishing license.
The new requirement is aimed squarely at apprentices and those who have completed the apprentice program and are waiting to get a license – not at existing license holders. The proposal has been structured to provide at least a one-year grace period for fishermen in all different circumstances.
“We don’t want to prevent people from getting a license,” said DMR’s Deirdre Gilbert.
Course topics
The state Legislature only recently gave DMR the authority to adopt safety-related regulations recommended by the fishing safety council. In this case, the agency is proposing that all apprentice fishermen be required to complete a Coast Guard approved course that covers these safety areas:
• Abandoning the vessel;
• Firefighting on board a vessel;
• Recovering an individual from the water;
• Minimizing the effects of unintentional flooding;
• Launching survival craft;
• Donning immersion suits and personal flotation devices; and
• Making a voice radio distress call and using visual distress signals.
Individuals who hold current US Coast Guard 100-ton captain’s licenses are not required to take this course. However, they must show proof that they have valid licenses.
Public hearings
DMR has scheduled three public hearings on the safety proposal:
• Oct. 2 in Ellsworth – City Hall, 3rd floor auditorium, One City Hall Plaza;
• Oct. 3 in Rockland – State Ferry Terminal conference room, 517A Main St.; and
• Oct. 5 in Scarborough – Municipal Building, chamber room B, 259 US Route 1.
The deadline for public comments is Oct. 16.
The complete notice of agency rule-making is available online at <www.maine.gov/dmr/rulemaking>.
For more information on the safety course, call Maj. John Fetterman at (207) 624-6555. For more information on licenses and/or waiting list-related questions, call Deirdre Gilbert at (207) 624-6576.
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