Chap. 472.—An ACT to amend and re-enact subsection 6 of section 3292 of
the Code of Virginia, as heretofore amended, in relation to crabs. [H B 278]

Approved March 24, 1926.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That sub-
section six of section thirty-two hundred and ninety-two of the Code
of Virginia, as amended, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as
tollows:
(6) For each boat used in buying crabs, or for each person or firm
engaged in marketing hard crabs by barrel or crate, five dollars and an
inspectors fee of fifty cents; but no person who is duly licensed to catch
crabs shall be required to procure further license for marketing or
shipping his own catch. No scrapes or dredges shall be used for
catching hard crabs between the first day of May and the first day of
December of, any year, nor shall it be lawful for any person to dredge
for crabs on the planted grounds of private individuals, or any of the
natural rocks of this Commonwealth, or to dredge for crabs or clams
on any of the public grounds of this Commonwealth, from which
clams are taken by tongers using ordinary or patent tongs, nor shall
any person catch, take or have in possession at any time a hard crab,
other than the peeler that has a soft shell fully developed under the
hard shell, on which there is a pink line or rim on the edge of that part
of the ‘‘back fin” next to the outer section of this fin, which shall
measure less than five inches across the shell from tip to tip of spike,
nor any soft crab measuring less than three and one-half inches from
tip to tip of spike, nor any peeler measuring less than three inches from
tip to tip of spike, nor shall any person take, catch, or have i In posses-
sion at any time an egg-bearing female crab, known as “spawn crab,”

‘sponge crab,’”’ “‘blooming female crab,”’ or “‘mother crab,’’ or such a
female crab from which the egg or bunion has been removed, nor shall
it be lawful for any person to take or have in possession at any time
any buckram crab (a crab that has a paper shell), nor while operating
a net or dredge for the purpose of catching soft crabs or peelers to take,
float, or have in their possession any hard crabs, other than a peeler
that has a soft shell fully developed under the hard shell, or to destroy
them in any manner, but shall immediately return same to the water
alive when taken out of net or dredge.

In licensing persons for taking crabs, the oyster inspector shall
cause to be placed upon the starboard prow of such person's boat the
number of such license in conspicuous figures of not less than five
inches in length, preceded in all cases by the number of oyster districts
and the letter ‘““C’’, and within the ‘‘C” the number of persons licensed
on such boat, for example ‘“four-C-two one’ (4C21) means district
number four, license number one, and two persons licensed. Said
number and letters shall be kept displayed during the crabbing season
by the master of the boat. No person shall be authorized under the
provisions of this section, or otherwise to locate or maintain any net
or nets in the waters of Hampton Roads adjacent to the county of
Elizabeth City, between Old Point Comfort and Newport News Point,
at a distance of less than three hundred yards from any other stand or
stands.

Any person failing to comply with any of the provisions of this
section, Or in any way violating the same, shall be fined not less than
ten nor more than two hundred dollars for each offense.

2. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force trom its
passage.