The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-28
Extracts From Fish Laws
Statutes Enacted I'm Past -Four Years TO license
Regulate and Conserve Big Tdcwater
Industry.


! yeHFs
all Atlantic Coast States in the finnish industry.
suppantnR Massach usetts In supremacy, al
though the latter State has cod and mackerel
/ fisheries, which have not For years, Vir-
ginia has led all States IN the Union In the output
/ or oysters and crabs. and the clam Is now the
only water industry any State excels US in
Extracts from Recent Fish Laws.
Virginia has also the best code OF fish and
oyster statutes the Atlantic coast Here
some fish laws enacted at the sessions OF 1910
and 1912;
! % Any resident Of this State desiring to fish
for market or profit, other than domestic use.
with a purse net, pound net. fyke net, gill net,
haul seine, sturgeon net skirt net weir or other
device, or for blue fish by hand nne in any of
the waters OF this commonwealth or waters
within the Jurisdiction of this commonwealth.
shall apply to the oyster inspector of the dis
trct within which the person SO applying resides.
except that the applicant for license to fish with
fixed device shall apply to the oyster Inspector
/ OF the district In which the fixed device is pro-
posed to be located. and state oath the true
name names OF the person persons apply
ing for license that they are. and have been for
twelve months next preceding, residents OF this
State the place at which the net, seine fyke,
weir. other device Is to be fished, and that
during the period of the license they will not
violate any of the laws of this State In relation
! to the taking and catching of fish: provided.
this act shall not apply to any person using
net solely for the purpose of supplying his own
table, and provided restriction to being
nonresident shall apply to catching blue fish
by hand line and provided further, that any
person. firm corporation entitled by law to
fish in any OF the waters OF this monwealth.
or waters within the Jurisdiction OF this COM
monwealth. desiring TO take or catch fish there
j In with purse nets for the purpose of manufac-
! turing the Same into OIL fish scrap, manure,
shall first obtain license therefor according
to the provision Of, and under the penalties pre-
scrbed by. section two thousand and ninety
nine of the code Of Virginia Such oyster inspec-
tor shall thereupon grant license to such
net. or other device. and state In such license
the name names of the person persons who
shall use the same the place at which 1t is TO
he located used, the for which said
license is granted. which season shall begin on
the first day of February in any year and end
on the thirty-first day Of January Of the year
following and the amount of tax as is therein
after provided; provided however that 1t shall
be lawful for a resident of this State, except
such persons, firms corporations may be
engaged IN the taking catching OF fish for
the purpose Of manufacturing the into
oil. fish scrap or manure, to employ any vessel
or net owned within or without this State for
I the purpose q taking and catching fish. pro-
vided, that nothing in this shall be con-
strued to permit fishing In rivers other
waters prohibited by law. and In seasons pro-
hibited by law. For granting such license the
oyster inspector shall receive a fee of fifty
cents for each net licensed, except that where
the license tax is ten dollars the in
spector shall receive a fee OF one dollar for
each license granted (Acts 1900
Specific Tax.
= (2) Every such resident who shall apply
for such license to catch or take fish from the
waters of the commonwealth or. the waters
within the Jurisdiction OF the commonwealth,
in addition to the fee aforesaid, shall pay to
the oyster inspector of such district a specific
license tax. which shall be in lieu Of all taxes
levied upon such persons for taking and catching
fish. or for selling the product thereof, as
follows On each sail vessel fishing with purse
met Of not than four hundred meshes
deep, five dollars; each sail vessel fishing
with purse net of more than four hundred
meshes deep. twenty-five dollars: each steam
vessel fishing with purse net, one hundred dol
lars; on each pound net three dollars: each
, float or stake gill net of six hundred feet in
length and under. one dollar; and for every ad-
>" ditonal hundred feet fraction thereof
t. twenty-five cents; each thresh net. or skirt
net similar device. dollar; on each fyke
net head. weir, similarly fixed device one
dollar; on each haul seine, operated by motor
boat power not exceeding e-horse or by
hand. for market profit, three dollars: on
each draft haul net attended by motorboat
exceeding five-horse power. twenty dollars but
no steamboat shall be allowed to fish ouch net;
on each haul seine hauled by wndiass, with
O horse or mule power other power than
hand or steam, twenty dollars; each haul
seine operated by steam power fifty dollars
5 each sturgeon gill net or trammel net
= three dollars on each sturgeon sweep net or
haul seine, twenty-five dollars for every per-
son not a resident of the State of Virginia
catching the blue fish by hand line two dollars
8 and inspectors fee of fifty cents provided no
net of any kind shall be used for catchig blue
- fish. (Acts 1879
(3) II any person shall get, or cause
to be used or set, any H&ch net seine as
aforesaid. in any OF the waters of this COM
d monwealth or waters within the Jurisdiction
3 bf this commonwealth. without having first
paid the tax and obtained the license provided
for in this act, he shall be deemed guilty OF
: violation of the provisions thereof. and shall
4 for such violation in addition to the penalties
hereinafter provided in this act forfeit such
net and other fishing devices 1t shall be the
duty of the inspector to report such violation
to the commission OF fisheries whereupon said
commission shall cause some OF the com.
to take any such net or same. aforesaid, and
, sell the same at public auction, or otherwise
upon ten deys' advertisement. provided, that
no such sale be made till after twenty days
3 from the time when such property was taken.
II any oyster inspector knowingly fail to re-
port violations of this act to perform any
Of the duties herein required of him. he shall
3 for every such offense. forfeit hundred dol
lars. The money collected for license taxes
and from the sale of such fishing devices and
boats and forfeitures from such inspectors for
violation of their duties under this act shall
be applied to the support of the government
. but TO be accounted for in the general oyster
of he Gtate nicc{o nj