South Carolina General Assembly
124th Session, 2021-2022

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A15, R21, H3684

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Herbkersman, Erickson, Bradley and W. Newton
Document Path: l:\council\bills\df\13012cz21.docx

Introduced in the House on January 14, 2021
Introduced in the Senate on February 24, 2021
Passed by the General Assembly on March 24, 2021
Governor's Action: April 12, 2021, Signed

Summary: Cobia

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   1/14/2021  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 552)
   1/14/2021  House   Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Natural Resources 
                        and Environmental Affairs (House Journal-page 552)
    2/9/2021  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Erickson, 
                        Bradley, W.Newton
   2/17/2021  House   Committee report: Favorable Agriculture, Natural 
                        Resources and Environmental Affairs 
                        (House Journal-page 4)
   2/18/2021          Scrivener's error corrected
   2/23/2021  House   Read second time (House Journal-page 25)
   2/23/2021  House   Roll call Yeas-114  Nays-0 (House Journal-page 25)
   2/24/2021  House   Read third time and sent to Senate 
                        (House Journal-page 15)
   2/24/2021  Senate  Introduced and read first time (Senate Journal-page 9)
   2/24/2021  Senate  Referred to Committee on Fish, Game and Forestry 
                        (Senate Journal-page 9)
   3/17/2021  Senate  Committee report: Favorable Fish, Game and Forestry 
                        (Senate Journal-page 13)
   3/23/2021  Senate  Read second time (Senate Journal-page 37)
   3/23/2021  Senate  Roll call Ayes-45  Nays-0 (Senate Journal-page 37)
   3/24/2021  Senate  Read third time and enrolled (Senate Journal-page 16)
    4/8/2021          Ratified R  21
   4/12/2021          Signed By Governor
   4/15/2021          Effective date  04/12/21
   4/15/2021          Act No.  15

View the latest legislative information at the website

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

1/14/2021
2/17/2021
2/18/2021
3/17/2021


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

(A15, R21, H3684)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 50-5-1713 SO AS TO PROVIDE LIMITS FOR COBIA CAUGHT IN THE WATERS OF THIS STATE AND PROHIBIT THE TAKING OR POSSESSION OF COBIA WHEN FEDERAL REGULATIONS PROVIDE FOR THE CLOSURE OF A RECREATIONAL OR COMMERCIAL COBIA FISHERY IN THE WATERS OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN; AND TO AMEND SECTION 50-5-2730, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE APPLICATION OF FEDERAL FISHING REGULATIONS IN THE WATERS OF THIS STATE, SO AS TO REMOVE THE EXCEPTION FOR COBIA.

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

Cobia limits established

SECTION    1.    Article 17, Chapter 5, Title 50 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 50-5-1713.    (A)    The following limits to cobia (Rachycentron canadum) are:

(1)    one per person per day and no more than three per boat per day taken or possessed recreationally within the Southern Cobia Management Zone from June first to April thirtieth subject to a minimum size requirement of thirty-six inches in fork length. It is unlawful to take or possess cobia in the Southern Cobia Management Zone from May first to May thirty-first;

(2)    one per person per day and no more than six per boat per day taken or possessed recreationally in the waters of this State outside of the Southern Cobia Management Zone subject to a minimum size requirement of thirty-six inches in fork length;

(3)    two per licensed commercial fisherman per day and no more than six per boat per day taken or possessed commercially subject to a minimum size requirement of thirty-three inches in fork length.

(B)    It is unlawful to sell cobia taken from the waters of this State. All cobia taken commercially from waters outside of this State must be sold to a licensed wholesale dealer who also is a federally permitted dealer.

(C)    It is unlawful to take or possess cobia when federal regulations provide for the closure of the recreational or commercial cobia fishery in the waters of the South Atlantic Ocean."

Cobia exception removed

SECTION    2.     Section 50-5-2730(B) of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 210 of 2018, is further amended to read:

"(B)     This provision does not apply to black sea bass (Centropristis striata) whose lawful catch limit is five fish per person per day or the same as the federal limit for black sea bass, whichever is higher. The lawful minimum size is thirteen inches total length. Additionally, there is no closed season on the catching of black sea bass (Centropristis striata)."

Time effective

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 8th day of April, 2021.

Approved the 12th day of April, 2021.

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This web page was last updated on May 3, 2021 at 3:26 PM