An individual at least 15 years of age may enter into an agreement with an active commercial fisher licensed by the Department to serve as a commercial fishing apprentice to said commercial fisher. This agreement shall be in writing on a form provided by the Department and filed with the Department. In the event an agreement is cancelled by either party, the Department shall credit an apprentice with time served and said time shall be retained if the apprentice signs an agreement with another active commercial fisher. An apprentice shall not enter into an agreement with more than 1 active commercial fisher at any 1 time and an active commercial fisher shall not enter into an agreement with more than 1 apprentice at any 1 time. An apprentice must compete no less than 150 days of commercial fishing activities over no less than a 1-year period to be eligible for the transfer or enter lotteries for certain commercial fishing licenses. Eight hours of commercial fishing activities shall equal 1 day. Commercial fishing activities shall include fishing, operating a vessel, maintaining fishing equipment or a vessel, handling and transporting fish for sale, or other activities directly associated with a commercial fishery. Fishing activities shall be documented on a daily log form provided by the Department. Said logs shall be signed by the apprentice and the commercial fisher listed on the agreement and witnessed by another commercial fisher licensed by the Department. Log sheets shall be submitted to the Department on a monthly basis on or before the tenth day of the following month. An apprentice who completes no less than 150 days of commercial fishing activities over no less than a 1-year period shall be eligible for the following:

(1) Commercial crab dredgers license transferred by another active commercial crab dredger;

(2) Commercial conch pot license transferred by another active commercial conch potter;

(3) Commercial conch dredge license transferred by another active commercial conch dredger;

(4) Commercial crab pot license transferred by another active commercial crab potter;

(5) Oyster harvesting license transferred from another active oyster harvester;

(6) Commercial clam tong/rake license transferred from another active commercial clam tong/raker;

(7) Commercial dredge clam license transferred from another active commercial clam dredger;

(8) Commercial lobster pot license transferred from another active commercial lobster potter;

(9) Commercial surf clam license transferred from another active commercial surf clammer;

(10) Commercial horseshoe crab collecting permit transferred from another active horseshoe crab collector;

(11) Participation in lotteries conducted by the Department for commercial crab dredgers licenses, commercial conch pot licenses and commercial conch dredge licenses; and

(12) Commercial food fishing equipment permits for gill nets and authority to commercially fish with hook and line according to the provisions of § 915(n) of this title.

If, during the previous calendar year, fewer commercial crab dredgers licenses are issued than in 1999, the Department shall conduct a lottery for the number of said licenses different from the number issued in 1999 and the previous year. In 1999, the Department issued 52 commercial conch pot licenses. If during the previous calendar year, fewer commercial conch dredge licenses are issued than in 1999, the Department shall conduct a lottery for the number of said licenses different from the number issued in 1999 and the previous year. In 1999, the Department issued 15 conch dredge licenses.

73 Del. Laws, c. 29, § 7; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 78 Del. Laws, c. 49, § 1; 79 Del. Laws, c. 178, § 2; 80 Del. Laws, c. 348, § 2.