Public Hearing for Agency Rule-making Proposal: Chapter 26 Sea Urchin; 2025-2026 Season

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: 

  1. Send an email to: dmr.rulemaking@maine.gov
  2. Mail a written letter to: Deirdre Gilbert, 21 State House Station, Augusta Maine 04333-0021
  3. Fax your letter to 207-624-6024

Attend the public hearing in person or remotely to offer oral testimony on the proposed rulemaking.

Use the link below to participate remotely via Microsoft Teams:

Join the meeting now

Meeting ID: 233 168 337 086 0

Passcode: 4qg9yY9Y


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+1 207-209-4724,,636361609# United States, Portland

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Phone conference ID: 636 361 609#