South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

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A85, R115, S489

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Campsen, Gregory, McGill, Williams and Grooms
Document Path: l:\council\bills\ggs\22755sd07.doc
Companion/Similar bill(s): 3150

Introduced in the Senate on February 27, 2007
Introduced in the House on April 24, 2007
Last Amended on June 5, 2007
Passed by the General Assembly on June 6, 2007
Became law without Governor's signature, June 15, 2007

Summary: Saltwater gamefish

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/27/2007  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-3
   2/27/2007  Senate  Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry SJ-3
   3/28/2007  Senate  Committee report: Favorable Fish, Game and Forestry SJ-28
   3/29/2007          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/18/2007  Senate  Amended SJ-15
   4/18/2007  Senate  Read second time SJ-15
   4/19/2007  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-17
   4/24/2007  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-10
   4/24/2007  House   Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources 
                        and Environmental Affairs HJ-10
   5/24/2007  House   Committee report: Favorable with amendment Agriculture, 
                        Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs HJ-13
   5/30/2007  House   Amended HJ-24
   5/30/2007  House   Read second time HJ-26
   5/31/2007  House   Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments 
                        HJ-25
    6/5/2007  Senate  House amendment amended SJ-43
    6/5/2007  Senate  Returned to House with amendments SJ-43
    6/6/2007  House   Concurred in Senate amendment and enrolled HJ-6
    6/6/2007          Scrivener's error corrected
    6/7/2007          Ratified R 115
   6/15/2007          Became law without Governor's signature
   6/20/2007          Copies available
   6/20/2007          Effective date 06/15/07
   6/27/2007          Act No. 85

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/27/2007
3/28/2007
3/29/2007
4/18/2007
5/24/2007
5/30/2007
6/5/2007
6/6/2007


(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A85, R115, S489)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-1-30, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO CLASSIFICATIONS OF BIRDS, ANIMALS, AND FISH, SO AS TO ADD SALTWATER GAMEFISH; TO AMEND SECTION 50-5-1705, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO CATCH LIMITS, SO AS TO DELETE CERTAIN SALTWATER GAMEFISH, TO PROVIDE CATCH LIMITS FOR OTHER SALTWATER GAMEFISH, AND TO PROVIDE FOR OTHER RELATED TAKE, SEASON, AND POSSESSION PROVISIONS; TO AMEND SECTION 50-5-1710, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO SIZE LIMITS, SO AS TO DELETE CERTAIN SALTWATER GAMEFISH AND TO PROVIDE OR REVISE SIZE LIMITS FOR OTHER SALTWATER GAMEFISH AND DELETE PROVISIONS PERTAINING TO THE MANNER IN WHICH BLACK SEABASS MUST BE SOLD; AND TO REPEAL SECTION 50-5-1711 RELATING TO LIMITS ON TAKING, POSSESSING, OR SELLING DOLPHINS AND MAHI MAHI AND THE HARVEST, POSSESSION, OR SALE OF SARGASSUM, AND TO PROVIDE PENALTIES.

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

Saltwater gamefish

SECTION    1.    Section 50-1-30 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 181 of 1993, is further amended by adding a new item to read:

"(6)    Saltwater gamefish. Spotted seatrout (winter trout) Cynoscion nebulosus; red drum (channel bass) Sciaenops ocellatus; tarpon Megalops atlanticus; and any species of billfish of the Family Istiophoridae."

Catch and possession limits

SECTION    2.    Section 50-5-1705 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 105 of 2001, is further amended to read:

"Section 50-5-1705.    (A)    As used in this article, a day means sunrise on one day to sunrise on the following day.

(B)    It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than ten spotted seatrout in any one day.

(C)    It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than three red drum in any one day.

(D)    It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than one tarpon in any one day.

(E)    It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than five black drum Pogonias cromis in any one day.

(F)    It is unlawful for a person to take or possess more than twenty flounder (Paralichthys species) taken by means of gig, spear, hook and line, or similar device in any one day, not to exceed forty flounder in any one day on any boat.

(G)    It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than ten weakfish Cynoscion regalis in any one day.

(H)    It is unlawful to take or possess Hardhead Catfish Ariopsis felis or Gafftopsail Catfish Bagre marinus.

(I)    It is unlawful to gig for spotted seatrout or red drum from December first, through the last day of February inclusive.

(J)    The possession limits do not apply to the possession or sale of properly identified fish imported by seafood dealers or produced by permitted mariculture operations, or to possession as allowed under permit authorized by this chapter."

Size limits; sale restrictions deleted

SECTION    3.    Section 50-5-1710 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 105 of 2001, is further amended to read:

"Section 50-5-1710.    (A)    Except as provided in Article 21, it is unlawful to take, possess, land, sell, purchase, or attempt to sell or purchase:

(1)    spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) (winter trout) of less than fourteen inches in total length;

(2)    flounder (Paralichthys) of less than fourteen inches total length;

(3)    red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) (channel bass or spottail bass) of less than fifteen inches in total length, or more than twenty-three inches in total length;

(4)    black drum Pogonias cromis of less than fourteen inches or more than twenty-seven inches in total length; or

(5)    weakfish Cynoscion regalis of less than twelve inches in total length.

(B)    The finfish species named in this section must be brought to the dock or landed with head and tail fin intact except for product produced by mariculture operations permitted under this chapter, provided that returning fish of unlawful size immediately to the water does not constitute a violation. A commercial retailer or restaurant may remove the head at the request of the ultimate consumer after completion of the transaction but before transfer of the purchase or serving of the dish."

Repeal

SECTION    4.    Section 50-5-1711 of the 1976 Code is repealed.

Time effective

SECTION    5.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 8th day of June, 2007.

Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 6/15/07.

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This web page was last updated on Wednesday, December 2, 2009 at 3:31 P.M.