Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-03-08
NEW OYSTER BILLS
Number Of Valuable Laws Enacted
by the Legislature.
a Synopsis of the Measures Provision
Made for the Reconciliation of All Leg
islation as To oysters, CLANS, Crabs, and
Fish Those Who May Drcdse.

ism luOsS w no NtHy DrCuCe.
The past session has probably been
| the most remarkable for Il quarter of
| 4 century in the matter OF oyster legis-
lation. The vcNations and distractions
| of the ridcwatcr people have not been
! in evidence, and the current OF oyster
| enactment has run SO smoothly i'll the
| halls of legislation. it is doubtful if
| even the oy.stcrmcn themselves have
kept in touch With it. The old fight
between local interest and state equity
| has becom Il thing OF the past. The
Board Of Fisheries law. enacted two
( years ago. has made our fisheries IL
/ state question, TO be dealt with here
after on business merits. While some
important legislation has been enacted
! by the late Assembly. no personal bills
were introduced. the Committees of
/ Fish ana Game III the senate ans.
/ Chcsapeak and its Tributaries in the
I House refusing TO report any bills that
1 had not received the sanction OF the
| Board of Fisheries. The following is
a brief synopsis of the bills that passed
and have now become laws:
/. y bill to provide for rccodinca-
CLANS. crabs fish. etc. codiiication will
be presented in the form OF two or
! more condensed bills to the next AS
cembly. 10 be enacted in place of the
( disjointed and confused legislation on
these subjects now scattered through
the Code and subsequent acts. The
Board has authority 10 appoint three
persons to project this coditication,
who are Ia be compensated out OF the
I Board of Fisheries fund.
.. The Board OF Fisheries have been
empowered to sell. exchange. buy, or
renvest any OF the property of the
state now comprised in the oyster fleet
at their discretion.
MAY EMPLOY SURVEYORS.
3. They are also authorized to en-
ploy surveyors TO verify ut their option
the leases of planters who may be
holding bottoms in excess of their law
full assignments. and to survey and de-
fine any line of the Baylor survey in
dispute. y sum not to exceed twenty
five hundred (S2,500) dollars annually
has been appropriated out of the oyster
fund to meet the necessary expenses
of this act.
4. An important amendment TO the
oyster laws provides that where lands
have been inadvertently assigned to
planters within the Baylor survey Il
sufficient time shall be given the dis
possessed lessee to remove his planted
oysters and shells. Any depreciation
on said grounds before the expiration
OF said sufficient time will he punish
able as Il larceny.
>. Hereafter tonEers taking out the
ordinary assessment license-taX on
weekly sales OF oysters will be required
to report to the Inspector in person
6. The outlaw has been amended
| to provide for measurement here
after of three inches from hinge to
mouth. instead OF two and a half in
ches as before. the former exemptions
rs to James river and the ocean side
OF Acccmacll ana Northamnton conn
ties and TO Deem Greek in Warwick.
| remaining rs before But n further,
amendment provides that any person
buying. or having IN his possession.
oysters of the prohibited size. or shells
taken from the natural rocks shall be
| deemed guilty OF Violating the Law.
and that oysters ana shells oncc passed
from the cullinG-hoard to the inside of
me boat, shall be deemed to have been
taken unlawfully.
4. The bond of oyster inspectors has
been reduced from $1,000 to 5000.
WHO MAY DREDGE.
s. Hereafter all lessccs of oyster
planting ground who have paid their
rent in advance. and who will pronorlv
define the outer lines of their assign
ment as provided for in the bill. will he
allowed to dredge the same subject
to the discretion and regulation of the
Board OF Fisheries in all cases. prnvid-
cd that no dredging will be permitted
in the rivers and on the ocean side of
Accomac and Northampton counties
without special permission in writing
from the board. and that no nom resi-
dent boat or cew shall be employed in
such dredging.
.. \ special license tax will be re-
CURED hereafter for taking clans from
their natural beds for sale or planting
but any person taking out the sncciflc
tax cntiiling him to take oysters will be
likewise entitled To take clans under
the same. The claiming tax will be
the same as that for taking oysters.
with the same inspectors fee, where
only the claiming license is desired
But there is no close season provided
for clans.
10. on application Of fifty or more
crabbers the Board of Fisheries is au-
| thoriZed TO set apart and designate
such bottoms. not natural rocks. and
not assigned as planting grounds. as in
the judgment OF the board may be nee
essary for the use and benefit of those
| licensed 10 take crabs