962 LAWS OF MARYLAND. [CH. 707

SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Mary-
land, That two new sections be and they are hereby added to
Article 39 of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1939 Edition),
title "Fish and Fisheries", sub-title "Crabs", said new sections
to be known as Sections 110A and HOB, to follow immediately
after Section 110 of said Article, and to read as follows:

110A. The Commission of Tidewater Fisheries is hereby
empowered to make such rules and regulations and to modify
the same, from time to time, to restrict the taking or catching
of crabs, the possession thereof, or the methods by which same
may be taken; to close or open any specified area for the
taking or catching of crabs, to prohibit or restrict devices used
for the taking or catching of crabs and to establish seasons for
taking same; to establish minimum size limits for hard, soft,
and peeler crabs, and to make regulations with respect to
taking and possessing any fat crab, or any crab known as a
snot crab, green crab, or buckram crab (a crab that has a
paper shell). Provided, however, that nothing in this section
shall be construed to empower said Commission to change ex-
isting license fees for taking, picking, canning, packing, or
shipping cooked hard or soft crabs or crab meat; or for selling,
marketing, or shipping live hard or soft crabs by barrel or
crate. The Commission, however, shall have the power to fix
license fees on types of gear or equipment not now permitted
under existing statutes but which may hereafter be authorized.

HOB. No such rules and regulations of the Commission of
Tidewater Fisheries shall become effective under Section 110A
until said Commission has held public hearings on same, and
such public hearings shall be advertised as to time, place and
purpose in one newspaper of general daily circulation in the
State, and at least in two newspapers circulated in the tide-
water counties for two successive weeks in advance of said
hearings. After such hearings and upon adoption of such
rules and regulations, a certified copy of same, together with
reasons for adopting same, shall be transmitted to the Board
of Natural Resources at its next regular meeting or at a
special meeting called for that purpose. The Board of Natural
Resources shall vote to approve or disapprove such rules and
regulations and if a majority of the members present vote to
disapprove such rules and regulations, the same shall be null
and void. But if a majority of the members present at the
meeting of the Board of Natural Resources approve such rules
and regulations, the same shall be published for one week in
the newspapers bearing notice of the hearing and shall there-
after have all the force and effect of law. Any person or
persons found guilty before a Justice of the Peace qualified to
try same, or before any court on appeal, of violating any such