1434                                      LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 687

700.

[[(i) Any person granted a tonging license in the manner described in the
preceding subsections shall be entitled to take or catch oysters with tongs and
patent tongs, subject to all existing restrictions with regard to the areas in which
the use of said patent tongs is prohibited, during the season for taking oysters as
follows: In the waters of the county wherein such license is granted; and in the
waters of the Chesapeake Bay, except that all waters within one and one-half miles
of Sandy Point, Hackett's Point, Tolly's Point, Thomas' Point, Three Sisters Bar
and Holland's Point Bar shall be considered within the limits of Anne Arundel
County; and the oyster bars of Entrance Lump, White Marsh, Gum Springs,
Hunting Field, Windmill Flats, Muddy Drain, Swan Point and Lighthouse Lump
shall be considered to lie within the limits of Kent County; and Hickory Thicket
Bar shall be used in common by the tongers of Kent and Queen Anne's counties.
In the waters of the Potomac River and its tributaries oysters may be taken with
tongs only, but no oysters shall be taken with patent tongs [[, AT ANY POINT
ABOVE A LINE BETWEEN DRUM POINT AND HOGS POINT]].

No licensed tonger shall take or catch oysters in the waters of any county other
than that in which the license was issued, except, however, that duly licensed
tongers of Queen Anne's and Kent counties may use the waters of the Chester
River in common; tongers of Dorchester and Wicomico counties may use the
Nanticoke River in common; tongers of Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties
may use the waters of the Patuxent River in common, tongers of Queen Anne's
and Talbot counties may use the south branch of the Wye River and the mouth
thereof in common; tongers of Dorchester and Talbot counties, and the fourth
election district of Caroline County, may use the Choptank River in common,
except as restricted in subsection (j) of this section. ]]

(k) Patent tonging in certain waters prohibited.

(1)     It shall be unlawful to use or employ any patent tongs to take or catch
oysters in any of the following waters: Wicomico, Queen Anne's, Talbot,
Dorchester and Kent counties, except on Swann Point Bar, White Marsh, Gum
Spring, under the bar and Lighthouse Lump, and except that on Hickory Thicket
Bar the Department of Tidewater Fisheries may, in its discretion, open or close
this bar for patent tonging: or in the Patuxent River above and north of a straight
line joining Sotterly Wharf and St. Leonards Beacon; or in the tributaries of the
Potomac River in St. Mary's County.

(2)    IT SHALL BE UNLAWFUL TO USE OR EMPLOY ANY PATENT
TONGS, TO TAKE OR CATCH OYSTERS LYING IN DEPTHS OF LESS
THAT TWENTY (20) FEET IN THAT AREA OF THE PATUXENT RIVER
BOUNDED ON THE NORTH BY A STRAIGHT LINE JOINING
SOTTERLY WHARF AND ST. LEONARDS BEACON, AND ON THE
SOUTH BY A STRAIGHT LINE JOINING DRUM POINT AND HOGS
POINT THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS AUTHORIZED
TO ADOPT SPECIAL REGULATIONS GOVERNING THE USE OF
PATENT TONGS EMPLOYED UNDER. THE PROVISION OF THIS
SUBSECTION.

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take
effect July 1, 1973.

Approved May 24, 1973.