Association By-laws

   The Corporation is organized as a public benefit corporation for all purposes permitted under Title 13-B M.R.S.A. §101 et seq., as amended, and for the following specific purposes: all charitable, scientific and educational purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Code, including, but not limited to:

1. to protect Maine’s shellfish resource and promote shellfish harvesting in Maine;

2. to maintain and improve the quality of Maine’s tidal and ocean waters though public education, by efforts to address water pollution, including pollution from sources such as sewage and stormwater, and by encouraging shellfish harvesters to act as stewards of the bay, who protect water quality;

(c) to educate the public about water quality issues and the importance of maintaining and improving water quality to the health of Maine’s shellfish resource;

(d) to coordinate the efforts of municipal shellfish programs concerning Maine’s water quality and shellfish resource;

(e) to conduct investigation, make experiments and do any and all things tending to in any way increase the knowledge, further the interest, and improve the condition of the Maine’s coastal waters and shellfish resource;

(f) to encourage by proper and lawful means sound and economical practices within the industry, and to strive for the elimination of such practices and methods as are unfair, uneconomic and contrary to sound business principles;

(g) to encourage the enactment of wise and uniform State and Federal legislation relating to the shellfish industry by all legitimate means, and to oppose by all legitimate means the enactment of unwise legislation that might tend to burden the industry or the consumers of shellfish;

(h) to provide a forum for the interchange of information, ideas and viewpoints;

(i) to promote and protect the welfare of the association on a State and National basis, and to affiliate the association with such other associations as will help the association;

(j) to acquire, lease, take and hold by purchase, gift, devise, bequest or otherwise, personal and real estate not exceeding the amount limited by law, and to use and dispose of same for the purpose for which this association is organized; and

(k) to engage in any and all lawful activities incidental to and in pursuit of the foregoing purposes, except as restricted herein.