1416                             Laws of Maryland                       [Ch. 828

All hydraulic or mechanical clam dredges and boats operating the
provisions of this section shall have properly installed adequate
mufflers on all motors and engines used in the operation of said boat
or hydraulic or mechanical clam dredge. The Commission of Tide-
water Fisheries may require such modifications to the hydraulic clam
dredge and/or licensed dredge boats and rigs as may be demonstrated
to be in the public interest through research in the Department of
Research and Education and recommended for adoption to the latter
agency. Any person violating any provision of this sub-section shall
be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall
be fined not less than Ten Dollars ($10.00) nor more than Twenty-
five Dollars ($25.00).

(h) Minimum size of soft shell clams.—It shall be unlawful for any
person to have soft shell clams in his possession which contain more
than five percent (5%) per bushel of such clams measuring less than
two (2) inches measured along the longest dimension across the
shell;. except that in Queen Anne's and Talbot Counties said measure

ment shall be two and a quarter (2¼) inches measured along the

longest dimension across the shell.

(i) Time for taking and landing.—It shall be unlawful for any per-
son to take or catch, or attempt to take or catch, soft shell clams on
Sunday, or between sunset and sunrise on any other day, or to land
soft shell clams earlier than one hour before sunrise or later than
one hour after sunset.

(j) Prohibited areas.—It shall be unlawful to take or catch or
attempt to take or catch soft shell clams with any hydraulic or
mechanical dredge, or with any other type gear, as follows:

(1) Within 50 yards of any commercially productive oyster area
as may now exist or as may from time to time be established by
survey or re-survey of the Commission of Tidewater Fisheries and
the Department of Research and Education.

(2) In the waters of, or adjacent to, Talbot County and Queen
Anne's County it shall also be unlawful to take, catch, or attempt
to take or catch, soft shell clams by hydraulic or mechanical dredge,
or any other means:

(i) Within five hundred (500) yards of any occupied duck blind
where decoys are set out, during the legal waterfowl hunting season;

(ii) Or within one thousand (1,000) feet of any public bathing
beach during the months of May, June, July, August and September
of any year;

(iii) Or within one hundred (100) yards of any private bathing
beaches, during the months of June, July, or August and September;
provided that the private bathing beaches shall be staked and marked
by the owners thereof by a sign upon which there shall be lettered
"Bathing Beach", of a readily discernible size, or as may be required
by any rule or regulation of the Commission of Tidewater Fisheries;
provided however, that the linear measurement along the shore line
shall not exceed a distance of one hundred (100) yards for each land
owner;

(iv) Or within fifty (50) feet of the mean low water mark of any
shore line;