Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-03-29
The Fish Bill.

The fish bill passed both houses yes
terday in the following shape:
l. Be 1t enacted by the General ASSEM-
bly, Of Virginia, That it shall not be
lawful for any person to catch Or des-
troy, or to take any fish in or from any
of the waters of this Commonwealth
above tide water by means Of any seine
or net, Or trap of any kind, Or by any
other means whatsoever otherwise than
by angling with hook and line, for six
years from the passage of this act {:
Provided, That none Of the provisions
of this act shall hinder or prohibit the
commissions of fisheries or their agents
from catching or taking fish from any
of the waters of this State at such times
and by such means as may seem pro-
per to them: And prorided further,
That nothing in this act shall be I'M
derstood to forbid the use of a hand or
minnow-net in taking small fish to be
used for bait in angling.
THE FISHING SEASON.
2. 1t shall not be lawful for any per-
son to kill or capture mountain trout
(sazmo .fontinalis) in any Of the waters
of this State between the 18th day of
September and the 1st day of April of
each year, by any process whatsoever,
nor at any other time except by angl-
ing with hook and line. Nor shall it be
lawful to kill or capture any river bass
Commonly called black bass), or pond
bass Commonly called southern chub),
between the 18th day ofMay and the
lst day of July of each year. Nor shall
it be lawful to shoot or spear either
species of these fish at any time.
3. 1t shall not be lawful for any per-
son to have in his possession during
the time in which the taking of the
same is forbidden in the foregoing Sec
tions any fish therein forbidden to be
taken, or to buy or sell or make any
use Of such fish within said forbidden
period, under the penalties Of this act ;
and said possession, sale, or use shall
be deemed prima facie evidence of its
violation.
Killing FISH-PENALTIES.
4. It shall not be lawful for any per-
son or corporation to use fsh-berries,
lime, giant powder, dynamite, or any
other explosive article, for the destruc-
ton of fish.
S. Any person Or corporation Offend
ing against the 1st, ID, Sd, 4th, sections
of this act shall be guilty of a INSIDE
meanor, and on conviction thereof in
any court or before justice OF the
peace shall be fined in the sum of twenty
dollars for each offence, and shall be
imprisoned till said fine is paid, but not
exceeding thirty days and it shall be
the duty ofthe sheriff Of the county or
corporation in which the offence is
committed to prosecute the offending
party promptly and vigorously; and in
every case of wilful failure to perform
this duty, he shall, on complaint by any
person to the country or corporation
judge, be fined not less than ten dollars
nor more than twenty dollars. In
addition to the penalty above specified
the offending pastry shall forfeit all
boats, nets, or other Illegal contriyances,
pay all costs of suit and the charges
incident 10 the capture Of said Illegal
contrivances.
PROTECTION OF FIsH-CULTURE.
6. 1t shall not be lawful for any per-
son to modest or damage any fish-eggs
or young fish in the boxes or troughs of
the fish commissioners, or their agents,
or any private individual engaged in the
artificial breeding of fish, or injure the
boxes, troughs, dams, or ponds, or
other apparatus of said commissioners
and agents, under the penalties of the
5th section of this act.
I. 1t shall be R@ duty of the judge
Of each county Or corporation court to
give this act in charge to every grand
jury, whose duty it shall be to present
every infractlon thereof not reported
and prosecuted by the sheriff; ana the
Commemorative attorney for each
county and city shall diligently prose-
cute every such violation of this act /:
ProUided, That the provision of this act
shall not apply to any Of the waters
emptying into Tennessee and Kentucky.
| s. All acts and parts of acts in con-
! tlict with this act are hereby repealed.
! 9. This act shall be IN force from its
passage.
| n T,, A