The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-06-03
THURSDAY, JUNE 3. 1920.
THE NEW FISH LAW.


to Williamsburg County, regarding
the taking of fish from rivers and
lakes within its boundary limits, be-
came effective Tuesday, June l, 1920.
This new law is in the form Of an
amendment to the general fish law
applicable to Williamsburg County
appearing on the Statues at Large Of
South Carolina, bill No. 322, entitled,
can act regulating the catching OF
fish in the rivers, creeks and other
streams in Williamsburg County" and
reads as follows:
"Section /. Act 1916.-Be it en-
acted by the General Assembly of the
State of South Carolina, That Section
l of an Act entitled, can act regula-
ting the catching of fish in the rivers,
creeks anu other streams in Williams
burg County," approved March 6,
1916, be, and the same is hereby a
mended by adding at the end of the
said section the following proviso:
provided that it shall be unlawful for
any person to catch game fish in said
county by any method or plan what
soever during the period from the
first day Of June to the first day of
August of each and every year." so
that said section, when amended. shall
read as follows:
Section l. Be it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State Of
South Carolina, That in Williamsburg
county the law for the protection Of
game fish shall remain as now pro-
vided except that it shall be unlaw-
full for any person in Williamsburg
county to catch fish from their beds
BY the use of stake and short line, or
by any other plan whatsoever, es-
pecially devised for this purpose:
Provided, that it shall be unlawful
for any person to catch game fish
in said county by any method or plan
whatsoever during the period from
the first day of June to the first day
of August of each and every year.
Section 2. That this act shall go
into effect on approval by the gov
ernor."
The above act was approved by
Governor Cooper on the 29th day of
March 1919, and is now applicable in
this county. Violations of the act
are punishable by a fine of not less
than $1,000 nor more than $4,000 OF
thirty days imprisonment.
For several years past there has
been a wall and cry among our peo-
pie for revised, or better fish law;
a law that would put an end to the in
discriminate killing and capturing of
our game fish at any and all seasons
in the year. Many measures have
been suggested, and heretofore little
or no regard has been held for the
fish laws of the county.
NOW tICl We IldNS q N3iiSh
would actually prohibit the ruthless
capture of game fish and carries the
necessary potentialities for their pro-
lection and conservation, already is
heard the cry that the act is uncon-
stitutional and unfair, merely because
it applies to Williamsburg County
and is not statewide in its scope.
We venture to say that this cry is
being made by some, perhaps many,
of those who clamoured louder for
the enactment of just such a law.
1t is very evident that the law is
good one and should be obeyed. By
it we will have more and better fish
eventually. A good sport will rejoice
in its enforcement, but the fellow who
delights in tickling" and "pegging"
fish during the bedding or spawning
season will be most grievously oppos-
ed to it.