2304 ARTICLE 72.

Reserved Areas.

An. Code, sec. 132. 1914, ch. 753. 1917, ch. 12, sec. 132.

156. The Conservation Commission of Maryland is hereby author-
ized to select and reserve for oyster conservation, as provided in this
sub-title, any portion or portions of the natural beds, bars and rocks of
the Chesapeake Bay in dredger's area to be replenished by transplanting
of small oysters, shells or other cultch, or in other feasible manner which
the Commission may deem best. The Commission shall give notice of
said reservation by advertisement to be inserted once a week for three
successive weeks, in a newspaper published in Baltimore City, and in the
County where the reserved area is located, which advertisement shall de-
scribe the area reserved and give the date on which the reservation takes
effect, and shall warn all persons not to catch or disturb oysters upon such
reserved area until further notice from the Commission reopening same
for public use. Whenever in the discretion of the Commission such re-
served area shall have been replenished, but in no event later than three
years after the beginning of such reservation it shall fix a date for reopening
same to the public, and shall give notice thereof by proper advertisement
inserted as above provided. Any person who shall catch or disturb any
oysters upon such reserved areas between the date such reservation begins
and the date fixed by the Commission for re-opening same, shall be guilty
of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be imprisoned for
not less than three months, nor more than one year, in the discretion of
the Court.

An. Code, sec. 133. 1914, ch. 753. 1917, ch. 12, sec. 133.

157. Any resident of the State eligible to hold a dredger's or scraper's
license may make application to the Conservation Commission at its office
in Baltimore for a permit to catch and remove seed oysters, at any time
between March 15th and May 15th, or between September 15th and
November 1st, in each year, from any bottoms not leased of the Chesa-
peake Bay or tributaries in dredger's territory where an abundance of
small oysters may occur which in the opinion of the Commission would
secure better results by being transplanted. The Commission may issue
such permit, and shall describe therein the particular portion of said bot-
toms from which seed oysters are to be taken, and shall fix the manner
and the time for catching same. The person holding such permit shall
transport all seed oysters caught by him directly to such reserved areas
within the limits prescribed in Section 156, as may be designated by the
Commission, and there transplant same in the presence of a deputy com-
mander of the State Fishery Force, whose duty it shall be to see that such
seed oysters are transplanted in a proper manner and upon the desig-
nated areas. The deputy commander shall thereupon issue a certificate
to the person so transplanting seed oysters, which shall state as accurately