Chap. 469.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 24 of chapter 348 of
acts 1910, entitled an act to revise, arrange, amend and consolidate
into one act certain laws relating to oysters, fish, clams, crabs and
other shellfish, and to repeal all acts or parts of acts of the general
assembly, and any section or sections of the Code of Virginia in con-
flict with the provisions of this act. (H. B. 407.)

Approved March 22, 1916.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That
section twenty-four of chapter three hundred and forty-three,
acts of the general assembly of nineteen hundred and ten, en-
titled an act to revise, arrange, amend and consolidate into one
act certain laws relating to oysters, fish, clams, crabs and other
shellfish, and to repeal all acts or parts of acts of the general
assembly, and any section or sections of the Code of Virginia
in conflict with the provisions of this act, be amended and re-
enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 24. Any resident of this State, who shall be qualified
under this act and desires to take or catch oysters from the nat-
ural oyster beds, rocks, or shoals of the waters of the Common-
wealth by hand or with ordinary or patent tongs, or any instru-
ment allowed by law, other than a scrape or dredge, shall first
apply in writing to the inspector of the district in which he re-
sides for a license. The license taxes shall be as follows: (1)
for each pair of patent tongs, five dollars; (2) for each person
taking oysters by hand, or with ordinary tongs, two dollars;
provided, however, that a license issued for patent tongs shall
entitle the holder, without the payment of an additional license
tax, to use ordinary tongs while not using patent tongs. When
such person shall have paid to the inspector the fees required
of him, said inspector shall register such person, and shall issue
to him a license which shall entitle him during the season for
which such license shall be issued to take or catch oysters from
the natural oyster rocks, beds or shoals of the Commonwealth
of Virginia, or within the jurisdiction thereof for the period
during which he is not prohibited by law from working on any
such natural rocks, beds or shoals. Any oysterman, when re-
quired to do so by an inspector or other police officer, must show
a license for every pair of oyster tongs in his possession while
working on the natural rocks, beds, or shoals, and the having
of more pairs of oyster tongs than licenses exhibited, as afore-
said, shall be prima facie evidence of violating the provisions
of this section as to obtaining licenses. If any person is found
oystering upon the natural rocks, beds or shoals, without having
been so licensed, or after having his license revoked, or if he
violates any provision of this section, such person shall be fined
not less than twenty nor more than one hundred dollars.