FISH AND FISHERIES 1651

1929, ch. 471, sec. 18.

21. (Anchored Boats Not to Interfere With Any Fishery.) No vessel
or boat of any description, unless compelled to do so by stress of weather or
any other unavoidable accident, shall be anchored or stayed in any fishery
of the waters of this State at any time during the shad and herring season,
but shall depart within one-half hour when ordered to do so by the owner
or occupier of such fishery.

1929, ch. 471, sec. 19.

22. (Vessels Sailing Through Seines.) If any vessel, float or boat shall
be wittingly, wantonly and maliciously, or from gross negligence, sailed
through any seine extended in any fishery, the skipper, captain or other
person commanding such vessel, float or boat shall be guilty of a misde-
meanor and shall pay upon conviction before a justice of the peace or court
of competent jurisdiction, a fine equal to the damages ascertained as suf-
fered by the owner or occupier of said fishery, and in addition thereto, the
cost of prosecution; the amount of fine so imposed shall be paid to the
owner or occupier of the fishery, and the vessel, float or boat shall be held
as security for the payment of the fine.

1929, ch. 471, sec. 20.

23. (Obstruction to Fishery). It shall be unlawful for any person to
wilfully or maliciously put any stake, log, stone, ballast or other obstruc-
tion in the berth or haul of any fishery, subject to the penalties herein-
after provided.

1929, ch. 471, sec. 22.

24. (Riparian Rights.) The owner of any land bordering on any tidal
waters of the tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, except the waters of the
Great Choptank River, lying in the State of Maryland, or anyone who is a
tenant, renter or lessee of such owner, shall by virtue of such ownership or
occupancy be first entitled to make a choice of the set or position to place
nets or establish a haul seine fishery in front of the property of which he
or she is the owner, tenant, renter or lessee of the riparian rights therein,
for the purpose of catching fish for commercial use; provided that if such
owner, tenant, renter or lessee of said riparian rights do not avail them-
selves of the privilege of locating the position where they desire to set their
nets or haul seine each year within twenty days after receiving notice here-
inafter provided from any other person who may desire to locate their nets
or fishery in front of said riparian owner's property, then it shall be lawful
for such person to locate or place their net or haul their seine in front of
said property; except that the notice to the owner or occupier shall not
apply to the waters of Baltimore, Cecil, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester,
Prince George's, St. Mary's and Charles Counties, where the permission
of the shore owner shall always be necessary, nor shall anything herein
contained be construed to grant any rights to fishermen by reason of such
notice to fish upon any of the waters, nearer than 500 yards opposite any
shore used as a pleasure resort so as to interfere with bathing or boating
on such shore, without permission of the shore owner. The notice provided
for above shall be mailed to the owner of the shore, or to the tenant, renter
or lessee of such shore property. If the name and address are unknown,
then such notice shall be posted for twenty days on a board fastened to a