Section 13-0360. Special management areas

1. For purposes of this section:
    (a) "artificial reef" shall mean a hard structure, deliberately placed
  in  a  marine  or  coastal  water  body  for  the  purpose  of imitating
  environmental conditions found on natural underwater rock  outcroppings,
  shellfish reefs or coral reefs; and
    (b)  "wreck"  shall mean an abandoned shipwreck which occurred through
  an accidental circumstance or deliberate scuttling or sinking  that  was
  not part of artificial reef construction activities.
    2.  For  the  purposes of protecting reef ecosystems and managing reef
  fisheries, the department is  hereby  authorized  to  adopt  regulations
  which  designate as a special management area any area of the marine and
  coastal district which contains artificial reefs  or  wrecks  simulating
  artificial reefs together with the surrounding areas where the biota are
  dependent upon the physical characteristics of the reef.
    3. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the department
  may, until December thirty-first, two thousand eleven, adopt regulations
  restricting  the  taking of fish, shellfish and crustacea in any special
  management area designated pursuant to subdivision two of this  section.
  Such  regulations  may  restrict the manner of taking of fish, shellfish
  and crustacea in such areas and  the  landing  of  fish,  shellfish  and
  crustacea  which  have  been  taken therefrom. Such regulations shall be
  consistent with all relevant federal and interstate fisheries management
  plans and with the marine fisheries conservation and  management  policy
  set forth in section 13-0105 of this article.