CHAPTER 413

An Act to amend and reenact § 29-148 as amended, of the Code of Virginia,
relating to the taking, possession, sale or transportation of fish.

[H 594]
Approved April 1, 1966

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 29-148 as amended, of the Code of Virginia, be amended and
reenacted as follows: ;

§ 29-148. Unless and until otherwise provided by a regulation of the
Commission, after a public hearing, in accordance with the provisions of
this title, it shall be unlawful for any person to take or attempt to take
any fish in inland waters other than shad, herring or mullet, except by fish-
ing with a hook and line or rod and reel, held in the hand, or to catch,
trap, take, capture, kill, or attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer
for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause
to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported,
carry or cause to be carried, by any means whatever, receive for shipment,
transport or carriage, or export, or import at any time or in any manner
any species of bass or trout, or the carcass or any part thereof, except as
specifically permitted by this article and only by the manner or means and
within the numbers stated; except that in the counties of Mecklenburg,
Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, city of Danville, Charlotte, Campbell, Halifax,
Amelia (except between Vaughn’s pond and Meadsville dam), Caroline and
King George and in the Meherrin river in Lunenburg County it shall be
lawful to fish with “fish traps” or “fish pots” and haul seines in any and
all streams and waters, provided that no person shall catch fish with “fish
traps” or “fish pots” and haul seines to be sold; and provided further that
it shall be unlawful in any and all of such counties to remove from the
waters thereof any bass, perch and trout caught with fish pots or fish traps
or haul seines, and any person so catching bass, perch and trout shall
immediately return the same to the waters. The Commission shall have the
authority to close any streams or rivers or parts of streams or rivers in
such counties when same shall be stocked with fish by the Commission.
Any provisions of this title to the contrary notwithstanding, it shall be
lawful to sell or offer to sell for human consumption trout which have been
lawfully acquired provided such trout have been propagated and raised
in a hatchery or by other artificial means.

The Commission of Game and Inland Fisheries shall by appropriate
regulation establish a practical system of identification of trout so offered
for sale for table use.

A violation of the provisions of this section or regulations based there-
a shall be declared a misdemeanor punishable by a penalty as provided

y law.