Chap. 384.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3172 of the Code of Vir-
ginia, as heretofore amended, regulating the size of fish that may be caught.
H B 212]

Approved March 24, 1926.

1. Beit enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
thirty-one hundred and seventy-two of the Code of Virginia, as here-
tofore amended, be amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Section 3172. Regulating the size of fish that may be caught.—
It shall be unlawful to take, catch or have in possession any sturgeon
less than five feet in length; or any rock fish of less than ten inches
in length; or any trout less than nine inches in length; or any spot
less than six inches in length; or any blue fish less than eight inches
in length; or any bonito fish less than twenty inches in length; or any
croakers (grumblers) less than seven inches in length; or any black
drum less than twelve inches in length; or any red drum less than
twelve inches in length; or any hog fish less than six inches in length;
or any mackerel less than ten inches in length; or any mullets less
than six inches in length; or any pompanos less than seven inches in
length; or any porgie or moon fish less than ten inches in length; or
anv roundhead or sea mullet less than seven inches in length; or any
sea bass less than five inches in length; or any sheephead less than
twelve inches in length; or any black bass less than eight inches in
length; or any mud shad less than seven inches in length; or any white
sand perch less than five inches in length; or any yellow or ring perch
less than seven inches in length; or any blue nose perch less than
seven inches in length; or any bream less than eight inches in length;
or any hickory shad, or any other shad, less than ten inches in length;
all measurements to be from nose to tip of tail. Any such fish caught
by any person shall be at once returned to the water; and in order
that any such fish caught in any fixed fishing device may be returned
to the water alive, all persons fishing such devices shall cull out and
return to the water all such fish as they are taken from the net and
before placing the same inside of their boat. And whenever any
fisherman or dealer is found to have as much as ten per centum of
the bulk of his catch, under the minimum sizes herein prescribed,
he shall be deemed guilty of violating the provisions of the section,
except as to trout, in which case any fisherman or dealer shall be
deemed guilty of violating the provisions of this section only when
he is found to have as much as ten per centum of the bulk of his catch
under the minimum size herein prescribed as to trout. If any dealer
offers for sale any fish under the sizes hereinbefore stated, he shall
be deemed guilty of violating the provisions of this section.