CHAPTER 126

An Act to amend and reenact § 29-148, as amended, of the Code of
Virginia, relating to taking, possessing, selling, purchasing, or trans-
porting fish from inland waters. CH 172]

Approved March 1, 1960

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 29-148, as amended, of the Code of Virginia, be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 29-148. Unless and until otherwise provided by a regulation of
the Commission, after a public hearing, in accordance with the provisions
of this title, it shall be unlawful for any person to take or attempt to take
any fish in inland waters other than shad, herring or mullet, except by
fishing with a hook and line or rod and reel, held in the hand, or to catch,
trap, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer
for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause
to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported,
carry or cause to be carried, by any means whatever, receive for ship-
ment, transport or carriage, or export, or import at any time or In any
manner any species of bass or trout, or the carcass or any part thereof,
except as specifically permitted by this article and only by the manner
or means and within the numbers stated; except that in the counties of
Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, city of Danville, Charlotte, Campbell, Halifax,
Amelia (except between Vaughn’s pond and Meadsville dam), Caroline and
King George and in the Meherrin River in Lunenburg County it shall be
lawful to fish with “fish traps” or “fish pots” and haul seines in any
and all streams and waters, except in Grassy creek in Mecklenburg County,
provided that no person shall catch fish with “fish traps” or “fish pots”
and haul seines to be sold; and provided further that it shall be unlawful
in any and all of such counties to remove from the waters thereof any
bass, perch and trout caught with fish pots or fish traps or haul seines,
and any person so catching bass, perch and trout shall immediately return
the same to the waters. The Commission shall have the authority to close
any streams or rivers or parts of streams or rivers in such counties when
same shall be stocked with fish by the Commission. Any provisions of
this title to the contrary notwithstanding, it shall be lawful to sell or
offer to sell for human consumption trout which have been lawfully
acquired provided such trout have been propagated and raised in a hatch-
ery or by other artificial means.

The Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries shall by appropriate
regulation establish a practical system of identification of trout so offered
for sale for table use.

A violation of the provisions of this section or regulations based
thereunder shall be declared a misdemeanor punishable by a penalty as
provided by law.