Date: August 13, 2025
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: DMR HQ, room 118 Marquardt Building - 32 Blossom Lane and Remotely via Microsoft Teams
Town: Augusta (Remote option also available)
The Maine Department of Marine Resources has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:
Chapter 26 Sea Urchin; 2025-2026 Season
Date, time and location of Public Hearing (if any):
- August 13, 2025, 5:00 p.m., DMR HQ, room 118 Marquardt Building (32 Blossom Lane, Augusta ME), with an option to participate remotely via Microsoft Teams. For information on how to join the hearing, please visit: maine.gov/dmr. Instructions have been posted on DMR’s homepage under meetings and events.
Please follow these directions for parking due to recent construction at the Augusta Campus: Notice Regarding Entrance Detour to DMR Augusta Campus
BRIEF SUMMARY: This regulation would establish open harvest days and tote limits for the taking of sea urchins by divers, rakers, trappers, and draggers in Zones 1 and 2 for the 2025-2026 season. For Zone 1, seasons are proposed for divers, trappers, rakers and draggers in 2025-2026, from which harvesters may only fish up to 15 days of their choosing, the same number of days allowed during the 2024-2025 season. For Zone 1, the daily tote limit is nine (9). For Zone 2, 40-day seasons are proposed for divers, trappers, rakers and draggers in 2025-2026, from which harvesters may only fish up to 30 days of their choosing. This proposal has the same number of fishing days and opportunity days as the 2024-2025 season. For the Whiting & Dennys Bays Limited Access Area in Zone 2, a 12-day season is proposed for Zone 2 divers, trappers, rakers and draggers in 2025-2026. For Zone 2, the daily tote limit is six (6).
Due to the incorporation of the Flex Harvest option in the previous fishing season, a correction to the electronic reporting section for the upcoming 2025-2026 season is proposed. The use of the swipe card no longer equates to a fishing day, therefore a portion of the language in Chapter 26.5 is being struck.
COMMENT DEADLINE: August 25, 2025
How to comment:
- Send an email to: dmr.rulemaking@maine.gov
- Mail a written letter to: Deirdre Gilbert, 21 State House Station, Augusta Maine 04333-0021
- Fax your letter to 207-624-6024
- Attend the public hearing in person or remotely to offer oral testimony on the proposed rulemaking.
Any questions related to the proposed rulemaking and the urchin fishery, please contact Jen Harris at Jennifer.Harris@maine.gov or by phone at 207-458-9234.
Use the link below to participate remotely via Microsoft Teams:
Meeting ID: 233 168 337 086 0
Passcode: 4qg9yY9Y
Dial in by phone
+1 207-209-4724,,636361609# United States, Portland
Phone conference ID: 636 361 609#