S 0450 General Bill, By D.S. Rushing

Similar(H 2722)
 A Bill to amend Article 5, Chapter 17 of Title 50, Code of Laws of South
 Carolina, 1976, relating to leases of shellfish bottoms, so as to define
 commercial purposes, proof of state residency, commission, department and
 division, to provide lease preferences for operators of canneries, to provide
 for a revaluation of leases before renewal, to increase application fees for
 leases and renewals of leases, to provide for retention of fees for use by the
 Division of Marine Resources, to increase rental fees for shellfish leases, to
 provide that fifty percent of all productive shellfish bottoms shall be
 retained as state managed shellfish grounds, to exempt lessees of bottoms
 adjoining highlands from replanting requirements, to provide for the leasing
 of up to ten percent of state managed shellfish bottoms for the purpose of
 aquaculture and mariculture, to empower the Division of Marine Resources to
 open and close operations on shellfish bottoms, to provide for the equitable
 distribution of losses of leasing areas among persons presently holding leases
 because of the requirement that fifty percent of productive shellfish bottoms
 shall be retained as public shellfish grounds; to amend Sections 50-17-1210,
 50-17-1250 and 50-17-1260, relating to shellfish, so as to provide for an
 annual recreational license to reduce from two days per week to one day per
 week the time authorized for gathering oysters by heads of households, to
 require as near to fifty acres as may be feasible to be maintained as open
 areas for the taking of oysters and clams in coastal counties, to provide that
 bottoms owned by the state shall be considered shellfish beds instead of
 oyster beds; and to amend the Code by adding Sections 50-17-1205, 50-17-1245,
 50-17-1350, 50-17-1360, 50-17-1370, 50-17-1380 and 50-17-1390 so as to define
 shellfish house, mechanical harvester and division, to limit the size of clams
 which may be lawfully taken, to provide a commercial shellfisherman's license,
 to provide the licensing and regulation of mechanical harvesters, to provide
 for confiscation of equipment used in the unlawful taking of shellfish, to
 provide that one-half of all fines and other related fees derived from the
 shellfish trade shall be used by the Division of Marine Resources for
 shellfish management and to regulate the operation of shellfish houses; to
 make temporary provisions for the use of mechanical harvesters in the areas
 adjacent to the mouth of the Santee River until the rediversion of the river
 is complete, to create the Joint Legislative Study Committee; and provide
 penalties.
   04/15/81  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-15
   04/15/81  Senate Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry SJ-15