Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 1, § 2 (2026)

Offshore waters and submerged land

✓ current as of May 2026
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The jurisdiction of this State shall extend to and over, and be exercisable with respect to, waters offshore from the coasts of this State as follows:  
1.  Marginal sea.  The marginal sea to its outermost limits as said limits may from time to time be defined or recognized by the United States of America by international treaty or otherwise;  
2.  High seas.  The high seas to whatever extent jurisdiction therein may be claimed by the United States of America, or to whatever extent may be recognized by the usages and customs of international law or by any agreement, international or otherwise, to which the United States of America or this State may be party;  
2-A.  --harvesting.  The State of Maine declares that it owns and shall control the harvesting of the living resources of the seas adjoining the coastline for a distance of 200 miles or to the furthest edge of the Continental Shelf, whichever is greater, subject only to the boundary with Canada. Control over the harvesting of these living resources shall be by licenses or permits issued by the Department of Marine Resources;  
[PL 1973, c. 525 (NEW).]
3.  Submerged lands.  All submerged lands, including the subsurface thereof, lying under said aforementioned waters.  
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1973, c. 513, §22 (AMD). PL 1973, c. 525 (AMD).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 1 case, 2019–2019 · leading case: Kenneth W. Ross v. Acadian Seaplants, LTD., 2019 ME 45 (Me. 2019).
Kenneth W. Ross v. Acadian Seaplants, LTD., 2019 ME 45 (Me. 2019). “Acadian’s answer to the complaint included a counterclaim for a judgment declaring that 2 The Department of Marine Resources, as amicus curiae, argues that 1 M.R.S. § 2(2-A) (2018), which governs State regulation of harvesting of marine resources, establishes the public’s right…”
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