CHAP. 385.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3172 of the Code of Vir-

ginia. [H B 221}
Approved March 20, 1920.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
thirty-one hundred and seventy-two of the Code of Virginia be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 3172. Regulating the size of fish that may be caught.—It
shall be unlawful to take, catch or have in possession any sturgeon
less than four feet in length; or any rock fish of less than ten inches
in length; or any trout less than nine inches in length; or any spot
less than six inches in length; or any blue fish less than eight inches
in length; or any bonito fish less than twenty inches in length; or
any croakers (grumblers) less than seven inches in length; or any
black drum less than twelve inches in length; or any red drum less
than twelve inches in length; or any hog fish less than six inches in
length ; or any mackerel less than ten inches in length; or any mullets
less than six inches in length; or any pompanos less than seven inches
in length; or any porgie or moon fish less than ten inches in length;
or any roundhead or sea mullet less than seven inches in length; or
any sea bass less than five inches in length; or any sheephead less
than twelve inches in length; or any black bass less than eight inches
in length; or any mud shad less than seven inches in length; or any
white sand perch less than five inches in length; or any yellow or
ring perch less than seven inches in length; or any blue nose perch
less than seven inches in length; or any bream less than eight inches
in length; or any hickory shad, or any other shad, less than ten inches
in length; all measurements to be from nose to tip of tail. Any such
fish caught by any person shall be at once returned to the water; and
in order that any such fish caught in any fixed fishing device may be
returned to the water alive, all persons fishing such devices shall cull
out and return to the water all such-fish as they are taken from the net
and before placing the same inside of their boat. And whenever any
fisherman or dealer is found to have as much as ten per centum of the
bulk of his catch, under the minimum sizes herein prescribed, he shall
be deemed guilty of violating the provisions of this section, except as
to trout, in which case any fisherman or dealer shall be deemed guilty
of violating the provisions of this section only when he is found to
have as much as ten per centum of the bulk of his catch under the
minimum size herein prescribed as to trout. If any dealer offers for
sale any fish under the sizes hereinbefore stated, he shall be deemed
guilty of violating the provisions of this section.

~~