Chap. 551.—An ACT to protect the fish in the Mattaponi, Pamunkey and Yorl
rivers, and to repeal the act approved March 3, 1886, entitled an act to pro
tect the fish in the waters of the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers.

Approved March 2, 1894.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That chapte
three hundred and eighty-five of the acts of the general assembly o:
eighteen hundred and eighty-five and eighteen hundred and eighty.
six, in relation to fishing in the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 1. It shall not be lawful for any person, firm or corporation tc
fish in the waters of the Mattaponi, Pamunkey or York river, above
the Tue Marshes light, with a pound-net, fyke-net, purse-net or any
other fixed device, except with the device known as the gill stake
net: provided, however, that between a line drawn from Yorktown
to Gloucester Point and said Tue Marshes light it may be lawful to
use pound-nets, fyke-nets and purse-nets in shoal water, leaving not
less than one and a half miles of main channel unobstructed; and
any person violating the provisions of this act shall, upon convic-
tion thereof, be fined not less than one hundred dollars nor more
than five hundred dollars for the first offence, and not less than three
hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars for the repeti-
tion of the offence, and may, in the discretion of the jury, be con-
fined in the county jail not more than twelve months, and upon
every conviction the offender shall forfeit to the commonwealth al!
nets, seines, fixed devices, boats and other tackle used in violating
the provisions of this act, and half of the fine shall in each case go
to the informer.

§ 2. It shall be the duty of the sheriff and constables of any
county and the sergeant of any city or town to appear before the
grand jury of the counties bordering on any of the rivers aforesaid
having jurisdiction at the regular sessions thereof, and give informa-
tion as to any violations of this act or to report any offender toa
justice of any county, to be dealt with according to law; and the
act entitled an act to protect the fish in the waters of the Mattaponi
and Pamunkey rivers, approved March third, eighteen hundred and
eighty-six, and all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with the
provisions of this act, are hereby repealed.
2. This act shall be in force from its passage.