Chap. 260.—An ACT for the Protection of Fish’ in Jackson’s and Cow-
pasture Rivers and their Tributaries, from the Junction of said Rivers
to the Boundary Line between the Counties of Bath and Highland.

Approved March 28, 1873.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That no person
shall hereafter draw or haul any seine or net, or fish with any
lip net, stir net, or set net, or by any method except by angling
or with the out line, nor use any traps or fish pots for the
faking of fish, or use any fish berries for the purpose of catch-
ng or destroying any fish in Jackson’s or Cowpasture rivers,
or any of their tributaries, from the junction of said rivers to
the county line between Bath and Highland, from the first day
of August, eighteen hundred and seventy-three, to the first day
of August, eighteen hundred and seventy-eight.

2. No person shall during this time build any dam across
jither of said rivers, or any of their tributaries, commonly
mown as fish dams, for the purpose of putting therein any
rap or net to catch fish either running up or down the said
ivers, or any of their tributaries; nor shall any person put in
aid rivers or their tributaries any obstruction of any kind, so
hat fish may be taken therefrom at such obstruction in any
nanner.

3. It shall be the duty of all owners of mill dams built
cross the said rivers or any of their tributaries, within the
imits above specified, to at once construct and put in their
aid mill dams suitable shoots, slopes, sluices or fish ladders,
o that the fish may have free and unmolested passage up and
lown said rivers and their tributaries, and to keep the same at
J] times in good repair. 7 ;

4, That any person offending against the first section of this
ct shall; on conviction thereof before a justice of the peace,
orfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars for each offence; in ad-
lition to which penalty the net or nets employed or used shall
e forfeited and sold, the proceeds of sale to be applied as
ereinafter provided; and any person violating the second
ection shall, on conviction thereof before a justice of the
yeace, forfeit and pay the sum of ten dollars, and the dams
hall be broken down and the traps or nets destroyed, and the
xpense of breaking down and destroying the same shall be
collected from the party offending as a part of the cost of the
prosecution.

5. It shall be the duty of the board of supervisors of each B
county in which the said rivers and their tributaries are located, M
wherein this act is made to apply, to see that the provisions of
this act are enforced. The said board of supervisors shall ¢
appoint one or more suitable persons as commissioners, whose “
duty it shall be to cause the said rivers and their tributaries
and the dams thereon to be carefully inspected in their respec-
tive counties in the months of April and September of each
year, and if the owner or lessee of any mill dam on either of 1
said rivers or any of their tributaries shall fail to comply with >
the provisions 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 too
be constructed, and collect the cost of the same from the owner pI
or lessee of the dam, adding fifty per cent. to the same as 4
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 any 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, p
when collected, be paid to the clerk of the court, and by him ©
paid over to the county treasurer, to be used in defraying in .
part the expenses of the respective counties.

7. This act shall be in force from the first day of August, c
eighteen hundred and seventy-three.