Chap. 244.—An ACT for the Protection of Fishin the Roanoke River
west of the Blue Ridge.

In force March 20, 1872.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That no person
shall hereafter draw or haul any seine or net, or fish with any
pill net or floating net, in the Roanoke river, or the waters
thereof, west of the Blue Ridge, for the purpose of taking the
fish therefrom, at any time from the first day of April until the
first day of September in any year.
2. Be it further enacted, That no person shall at any time
build any dam across the Roanoke river or its waters west of
the Blue Ridge commonly known as fish dams, for the purpose
of putting therein any trap or net to catch fish, either running
up or down the said river or its waters; nor shall any person
put in said river or its waters any obstruction of any kind, so
that fish may be taken therefrom at such obstruction in any
manner.

3. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of all
owners of mill dams built across the Roanoke river, or the
waters thereof, west of the Blue Ridge, to at once construct
and put in their said mill dams suitable shoots, slopes, sluices
or fish ladders, so that the fish may have free and unmolested
passave up and down said river, and to keep the same at all
times in good repair.

4. Be it further enacted, That any person offending against
the first section of this act, shall, on conviction thereof before
a justice of the peace, forfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars
for each offence, in addition to which penalty the net or nets
employed and used shall be forfeited and sold, the proceeds of
sile to be applied as hereinafter provided; and any person vio-
lating the second section shall, on conviction thereof before a
justice of the peace, forfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars, and
the dams shall be broken down and the traps or nets destroyed
and the expenses of breaking down and destroying the same
shall be collected from the party offending as a part of the
cost of the prosecution.

5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of

the township supervisors to see that the provisions of the
second and third sections of this act are properly enforced by
a careful inspection of the river and waters thereof, and dams
thereon, in their several counties, to be made in the months of
April and September in each year; and if any owner of any
mill dam across the said Roanoke river west of the Blue Ridge
or the waters thereof, shall neglect or fail to comply with the
provisions of the third section of this act, the said supervisors
shall at once report the matter to the county court of their
county, which shall cause the necessary shoot, slope, sluice or
fish ladder to be constructed, and collect the cost of the: same
from the owner of the dam, adding fifty per cent, to the same
as damages; and after the shoot, slope, sluice or fish ladder
shall have been constructed to any dam, any person who shall
put any net or trap above or below the same, or fish with a net
above or below the same, shall, upon conviction of such offence
before a justice of the peace, forfeit and pay the sum of ten
dollars for each offence.
6. All the fines and forfeitures incurred under this act
shall, when collected, be paid to the clerk of the court, and by
him be paid over to the county treasurer, who shall credit it as
a part of the school fund of such county.

7. This act shall be in force from its passage.