South Carolina General Assembly
105th Session, 1983-1984

Bill 903

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               903
Ratification Number:       419
Act Number:                368
Introducing Body:          Senate
Subject:                   Relating to permits for taking fish
View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A368, R419, S903)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-17-70, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO PERMITS FOR TAKING FISH, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE DIVISION OF MARINE RESOURCES, INSTEAD OF THE WILDLIFE AND MARINE RESOURCES COMMISSION, MAY ISSUE PERMITS FOR TAKING FISH, SHELLFISH, CRUSTACEANS, OR OTHER MARINE LIFE IN THE SALTWATERS OF THE STATE FOR EXPERIMENTAL COMMERCIAL OR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES; TO PROHIBIT PERSONAL CONSUMPTION OF SPECIMENS TAKEN AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES.

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

Permits

SECTION 1. Section 50-17-70 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 50-17-70. The Division of Marine Resources may prescribe and require permits of all persons actually engaged in the taking of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, or other marine life in the saltwaters of this State for experimental commercial or scientific purposes not otherwise provided for by state law or departmental regulations. Permits issued for experimental commercial purposes may be for no more than two years and may not be renewed. All permits issued pursuant to this section may include provisions as to the areas, times, seasons, types of fishing equipment, species taken, catch reporting requirements, and other conditions as the Division determines necessary. The Division may issue special collecting permits without charge to qualified scientists, students, and other persons actually engaged in the study of marine biology. Marine life collected by persons issued special scientific permits under this section may not be used for personal consumption or for commercial purposes. Any person violating the provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction must be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days. In addition, any person found guilty of a violation of any of the conditions or requirements of a permit issued under this section or convicted of a violation of applicable conservation laws or regulations, shall have the permit issued to him revoked or suspended for a period of thirty days. Any boat, motor, or fishing equipment used by a person engaged in the taking of fish, shellfish, or other marine life without a permit as required by the Division under this section, or during the period which his permit has been suspended, must be seized, and upon conviction sold or redeemed as provided for in Section 50-17-1615."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.