Chap. 203.—An ACT to prohibit. the catching of blue fish in the waters of this
Commonwealth by non-residents of this State; to prohibit the employment of
vessels owned by non-residents for such fishing; to require a license tax 6n
residents for such blue fishing, and to impose a penalty for the violation of Unis
act.

Approved May 5, 1903.

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virgimia, That it) sha.
be unlawful for any person not a resident of this State to catch hou.
fish in any of the waters of this Commonwealth; and it shall be un-
lawful for any resident of this State te employ any vessel owned
a non-resident for any such fishing.

2. Any non-resident of this State violating the provisions of th:
act shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined not less than one hundred dollars, nor more then
onc thousand dollars. Any non-resident so engaged shall be deemed
guilty of a separate offense, and be subject to a separate penalty. fer
rac boat emploved by him in such fishing.

Any resident of this State who shall employ a vessel owned |
a non-resident for the catching of bine fish in the waters of this Con
monwealth shall be deemed enilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon. cen-
viction thereof, shall be fined not Jess than. fifty dollars, nor more than
one hundred dollars. Any such resident so emploving vessels owns
by non-residents shall be deemed guilty of a separate offense for each
boat so emploved by him. The provisions of this act shall not. how-
ever, be construed to apply in the case of any resident of this State
who has taken ont a license to fish with a purse net under section tw:
thousand and eighty-six of the Code of Virginia.

4. Tt shall be the duty of any resident ef this State who desires ta en-
gage in the catching of blue fish in the waters of this Commonweal
lo obtain a ficense therefor from the oyster mspector of the country
in which he may reside, for which said lieense the said) resident. sls.
pay to the satd oyster inspector two dollars and fifty cents per annem.
to be paid into the treasury of the State of Virginia, and a fee of twenty
five cents to the said oyster inspector.

HK. oTt shall he the duty of the oyster mspectors of this State to en
force the provisions of this net. and for such purpose the powers ofa
conservator of the peace are hereby conferred upon them: and jurisd'c-
tion is herd conferred upon the Justices of the peace of this State te
determine all causes arising under this act. subject to the right of ap-
peal to the court of the county having jurisdiction,

G6.) This act shall be in’ foree from and after June first. ninetocn
hundred and three.