South Carolina General Assembly
105th Session, 1983-1984

Bill 2939

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               2939
Ratification Number:       383
Act Number:                344
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Relating to the required distance between
                           fixed nets
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A344, R383, H2939)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-17-1050, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE REQUIRED DISTANCE BETWEEN FIXED NETS, SO AS TO INCREASE THE DISTANCE FROM TWO HUNDRED FEET TO TWO HUNDRED YARDS AND TO CHANGE THE DESCRIPTION OF THE NETS THE SECTION APPLIES TO; AND TO AMEND THE 1976 CODE BY ADDING SECTIONS 50-17-1035, 50-17-1055, 50-17-1061, TO PROHIBIT USE OF GILL NETS, SEINES, OR OTHER COMMERCIAL FISHING DEVICES WITHIN FIVE HUNDRED YARDS OF OCEAN FISHING PIERS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC OR JETTIES WITH FISHING WALKWAYS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, AND TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF UNATTENDED GILL NETS.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Unlawful to fix nets

SECTION 1. Section 50-17-1050 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 50-17-1050. It is unlawful to place or set any stationary or fixed nets, including a gill net, channel net, fyke net, pound net, or seine, within two hundred yards of any such net or device previously set."

Person must have license

SECTION 2. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 50-17-1035. Any person using a gill net of more than one hundred yards in length in the saltwaters of this State is engaged in commercial fishing and must have in possession an individual land and sell license as provided under Section 50-17-450 in addition to other licenses required by law."

Unlawful to set or place gill nets etc.

SECTION 3. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 50-17-1055. It is unlawful to set or place any gill net, seine, or other commercial fishing device within five hundred yards of a fishing pier or manmade jetty equipped with a fishing walkway in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The provisions of this section only apply to a fishing pier open to the public or manmade jetty equipped with a fishing walkway open to the public."

Unlawful to use unattended gill nets in salt waters

SECTION 4. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 50-17-1061. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 50-17-1060, no gill net used in the saltwaters of this State, other than shad or sturgeon nets of legal mesh size used in accordance with applicable provisions of law, may be left unattended. If the properly licensed owner or operator of the net may not be located, he has violated this section."

Time effective

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.