Bill 3928

                    Current Status

Bill Number:                       3928
Type of Legislation:               General Bill GB
Introducing Body:                  House
Introduced Date:                   19970410
Primary Sponsor:                   Seithel 
All Sponsors:                      Seithel 
Drafted Document Number:           EGM\18536AC.97
Residing Body:                     House
Current Committee:                 Agriculture, Natural Resources
                                   & Environmental Affairs Com 20
                                   HANR
Subject:                           Turtle excluder devices
                                   required to be used in channel nets
                                   used for taking shrimp; Fish and
                                   Game

Body    Date      Action Description                       Com     Leg Involved
______  ________  _______________________________________  _______ ____________
House   19970410  Introduced, read first time,             20 HANR
                  referred to Committee

AMEND SECTION 50-17-420, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN FISHING NETS, SO AS TO REQUIRE THE USE OF TURTLE EXCLUDER DEVICES IN CHANNEL NETS USED FOR TAKING SHRIMP.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 50-17-420 of the 1976 Code, as amended by Section 1265, Act 181 of 1993, is further amended to read:

"Section 50-17-420. (A) It is unlawful for any a person to catch fish in the saltwaters of this State with a seine or gill net having a mesh size of less than three inches. For shrimp, a seine having a mesh size of not less than one-half inch nylon twine, (square mesh), or nine-sixteenths inch cotton cord, (square mesh), and a length of no more than forty feet, may be used. Any A fixed or stationary net used for taking shrimp including a channel or set net must have a width at the mouth measured across the float or head line of no more than eighty feet. No fixed or stationary net used for taking shrimp may be set within three hundred feet of a marked navigation channel.

(B) The department may require the use of turtle excluder devices in channel or set nets used for taking shrimp. The devices used must be of a type approved by the department, and the department may designate the times, areas, seasons, and conditions under which the devices are to be used as conditions of the channel or set net permit."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.