Chap. 114.—An ACT to continue the Marine laboratory under the name of the
Virginia Fisheries Laboratory and provide for its operation, to provide for the
appointment of an advisory group in connection with such laboratory, and to
prescribe the duties and functions of the group when appointed. [S 130}

Approved March 2, 1944

Whereas, a Marine laboratory was provided for by an appropriation in
the general appropriation bill of nineteen hundred thirty-eight, and has
since that time been continued by succeeding biennial appropriations ; and
it is recognized that a much more useful service can be rendered by such
a Marine laboratory if permanently established ; and

Whereas, the competitive activities of other agencies of government
make it necessary that the State of Virginia undertake the repletion of her
seafood industry in more active manner than the State has heretofore
been able to do; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. Section 1. Marine laboratory——The Marine laboratory, hereto-
fore operating since the year nineteen hundred thirty-eight at the College
of William and Mary and at Yorktown, is hereby established and con-
tinued under the control and supervision of the College of William and
Mary and the Commission of Fisheries of Virginia and shall be known
as the Virginia I-isheries Laboratory.

Section 2. The operation of such laboratory, including selection of
personnel, shall be by a Board of Administration consisting of the Presi-
dent of the College of William and Mary, the Head of the Department of
Biology of the College of William and Mary, the Commissioner of Fish-
eries of Virginia, one Associate Member of the Commission of Fisheries to
be named by the Commissioner, and the Director of the Virginia Fisheries
Laboratory who shall be a member ex-officio. Any contract for the
employment ot personnel entered into by the Board of Administration
shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Visitors of the College
of William and Mary, the Commission of Fisheries and the Governor
and to the limitations imposed by then current general appropriation act.

Section 3. The Fisheries Laboratory shall conduct studies and in-
vestigations covering the seafood industry as a whole, and shall make an-
nual reports of its findings to the Commission of Fisheries; and shall, in
addition thereto, make such special studies and investigations touching
any part of the seafood industry as it may be requested to do by either the
Commission of Fisheries, or the Governor of Virginia.

Section 4. Upon the taking effect of this act, the Commissioner of
Fisheries of Virginia and the President of the College of William and
Mary, acting jointly, shall appoint a group composed of ten persons resi-
dent of the different localities in which seafood 1s being produced, so
that all localities and all branches of the industry may, as far as possible,
have representation on the group. The persons so appointed, together
with the Board of Administration shall constitute the advisory group.
They shall organize by selecting a chairman and a secretary. The mem-
bers appointed shall serve for two years from the date of their appoint-
ment and until their successors are appointed and have qualified, and all
vacancies shall be filled by the Commissioner of Fisheries and President
of the College of William and Mary acting jointly. They shall receive
no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed for all ordi-
nary and necessary expenses incurred by them in and about their serv-
ices, including their travel expense, out of the appropriation made for
the support of the Marine laboratory.

Section 5. The advisory group here created shall be empowered to
advise and assist the technical personnel of the Fisheries Laboratory in
their work; direct their attention to possible fields of endeavor ; assist
in securing the cooperation of the public; help formulate plans for a thor-
ough investigation of the shell and fin fish industries for the purpose of
making recommendations to the Commission of Fisheries of Virginia as
to the best method by which the industries may be improved and restored
to normal productivity ; and assist in working out a long range plan for
the conservation and repletion of the seafood areas of the State.

Section 6. The advisory group here created shall make an annual re-
port in writing to the Commission of Fisheries of its findings and recom-
mendations hereunder, and shall transmit a copy of such report to the
Board of Visitors of the College of William and Mary.