Chap. 831.—An ACT to amend and re-enact independent section 11 of an act
entitled “ an act to amend and re-enact sections 2131, 2138, 2134, 2135, 2137,
2148, 2151, 2158, and to repeal sections 2141, 2142, 2143, 2144, 2145 and 2147 of
chapter 97 of the code of Virginia, in relation to oysters, and to add independ-
ent sections thereto,” approved February 25, 1892.

Approved March 5, 1896.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That in-
pendent section eleven of an act entitled “an act to amend and re-
enact sections twenty-one hundred and thirty-one, twenty-one hun-
dred and thirty-three, twenty-one hundred and thirty-four, twenty-
one hundred and thirty-five, twenty-one hundred and thirty-seven,
twenty-one hundred and forty-eight, twenty-one hundred and fifty-
one, twenty-one hundred and fifty-three, and to repeal sections
twenty-one hundred and forty-one, twenty-one hundred and forty-
two, twenty-one hundred and forty-three, twenty-one hundred and
forty-four, twenty-one hundred and forty-five and twenty-one hun-
dred and forty-seven of chapter ninety-seven of the code of Virginia
in relation to oysters, and to add independent sections thereto,” ap-
proved February twenty-fifth, eighteen hundred and ninety-two, be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 11. All oysters taken from any natural rock, bed or shoal in the
waters of this state, except on the eastern side of Accomac and
Northampton counties, shall be culled upon their natural bed, rock
or shoal as taken ; and oysters whose shells measure less than two and
a half inches in length, measuring from hinge to mouth, and all
shells shall be included in said culling and replaced upon said rock,
bed or shoal; provided that where small oysters are adhering so
closely to the shell of the marketable oyster as to render its removal
impossible without destroying the young oyster, then it shall not be
necessary to remove it. Any person violating the provisions of this
section shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction
thereof shall be fined not less than ten dollars nor more than one
hundred dollars; provided, however, that so much of this section as
prohibits the taking and catching of oysters whose shells measure
less than two and a half inches in length, measuring from hinge to
mouth, shall not apply to James river above a line drawn from Day’s
Point, in the county of Isle of Wight, to Deep creek in the county of
W arwick.

2. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby re-
pealed.

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