Senate enacts Vitelli bill to ensure aquaculture licenses are used as intended

A bill introduced by Sen. Eloise Vitelli, D-Arrowsic, would ensure limited-purpose aquaculture licenses are used as intended by setting the minimum age to get a license at 12 years old. LD 1725, “An Act To Create a Minimum Age To Hold a Limited-purpose Aquaculture License,” was unanimously enacted by the Maine Senate in a vote Tuesday.

“Implementing an age limit prevents abuses of the LPA licenses and ensures these licenses are used for what they were intended: providing an option for people to get started in an aquaculture endeavor,” said Sen. Vitelli. “It’s a simple but necessary change, so I’m glad it is moving forward.”

The Department of Marine Resources asked Sen. Vitelli to introduce this legislation because of concerns about people using LPAs as a way around getting permitted for standard aquaculture leases. In some cases, people have purchased LPAs in their children’s names, potentially in order to expand their own operations. LPAs were intended to allow limited aquaculture in small areas, so people could try out new areas, or try their hand at aquaculture.

“By establishing a minimum age of 12 years, LD 1725 seeks to allow young working waterfront citizens to begin to experiment with aquaculture while reducing the likelihood of abuses in the system,” said Sebastian Belle, executive director of the Maine Aquaculture Association at a recent public hearing on the bill.

LD 1725 has now been sent to Gov. Janet Mills, who has ten days to sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without her signature.