Biosecurity Permits, Applications, and Requirements

To ensure the biosecurity of the marine environment, DMR requires the following for organisms imported, introduced, or transferred into the Maine's coastal waters or land-based aquaculture facilities for aquaculture, commercial or recreational fishing, or for facilities seeking approval as a source/hatchery:

Import Permit: required for marine organism that will contact Maine’s coastal waters and/or are imported to Land-Based Aquaculture Facilities. For full details on importation regulations, see Chapter 24 regulations.

• Applications to import marine organisms are reviewed based on the biosecurity risk both from a disease and ecological perspective.
• Applicants must apply for a permit from the Commissioner on a form supplied by the Commissioner.
• Applications to import shellfish that originate from areas listed under DMR regulation as restricted may denied unless the applicant fulfills requirements outlined in Chapter 24.
• Import & Movement Application - Useful Information:
  • Applications from restricted areas will be denied unless they are from an approved source.
  • See the list of restricted areas
  • Applications must be submitted a minimum of 30 days prior to the initial import/transfer date to allow sufficient time for application review.
  • Some applications will require additional pathology testing or biosecurity audits. These tests should be sent to Pathology.DMR@maine.gov after completing the online application.
• For shellfish, in-state transfers from an approved hatchery do not require a transfer permit.
  • Example: Purchasing seed from an approved hatchery within Maine can be done without any permits
•  Fill out an import permit application

Transfer Permit: required for moving shellfish or finfish within the state of Maine

• Shellfish: required for moving shellfish between Limited Purpose Aquaculture (LPA) health zones (additionally for moving C. virginica that are greater than 3mm in height out of MSX restricted areas)

• Finfish: required for moving marine finfish anywhere in the state, whether it is a facility-to-facility transfer, facility to marine site, or marine site to marine site
• Marine algae, crustaceans, and all other invertebrates are exempt from needing a transfer permit

Additional Import and Transfer Permit Requirements: See the charts listed below for guidance on the materials that may be required for your Import or Transfer Permit application.

• Bivalve Imports
• Bivalve Transfers
• Crustaceans and other Invertebrates
• Algae and Kelp
• Finfish Transfers
• Finfish Imports

Bait Approval: Bait to be deployed into Maine’s coastal waters for commercial or recreational fishing, must be approved for use prior to selling and distribution. 

• Lobster and crab bait
  • It is illegal to sell or use any marine or freshwater organism as lobster or crab bait that is classified by DMR as "prohibited", or that has not been approved by the Department of Marine Resources.
  • See the lists of Approved and Prohibited Marine and Freshwater baits.
  • If your bait does not appear on list of Approved Marine or Freshwater Species, use the form available here to submit a request to have a bait reviewed
• Bait for fisheries other than lobster and crab
  • Dealers wishing to sell bait used for recreational or commercial fisheries other than lobster and crab must receive an import permit by completing an import permit application

Source/Hatchery Approval: Applicants for an aquaculture lease or LPA must provide DMR with documentation of the biosecurity, sanitation, and applicable fish health practices for the source or hatchery of organisms to be cultivated, or they must indicate if their broodstock is sourced from a currently approved facility.

A list of currently approved shellfish and non-shellfish sources can be found here.

To be approved as a source/hatchery for shellfish or non-shellfish species, send an email to Pathology.DMR@maine.gov. Below are the materials you will need to submit via email as part of your application: