590                                        LAWS OF MARYLAND                                Ch. 226

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act is hereby
declared to be an emergency measure and necessary for the immediate preservation
of the public health and safety and having been passed by a yea and nay vote
supported by three-fifths of all the members elected to each of the two Houses of
the General Assembly, the same shall take effect from the date of its passage.

Approved May 7, 1973.

CHAPTER 227
(Senate Bill 502)

AN ACT to add new Section 697A to Article 66C of the Annotated Code of
Maryland (1970 Replacement Volume and 1972 Supplement), title "Natural
Resources," subtitle "Oysters and Clams," to follow immediately after Section
697 thereof, authorizing the Secretary of Natural Resources to establish daily
catch limits on certain oysters, providing for compensation to the State for any
oysters landed or offered for sale in excess of those limits and the deposit of
such funds to the credit of the Fisheries Research and Development Fund, to be
used for the repletion of the natural oyster bars of the State; providing a penalty
for the landing or selling of oysters more than ten per cent in excess of the
catch limit; and relating generally to the landing and selling of oysters.

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That new Section 697A be and it is hereby added to Article 66C
of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1970 Replacement Volume and 1972
Supplement), title "Natural Resources," subtitle "Oysters and Clams," to follow
immediately after Section 697 thereof, and to read as follows:

697A.

(A)  THE SECRETARY OF NATURAL RESOURCES MAY ESTABLISH
BY REGULATION DAILY CATCH LIMITS ON THE QUANTITIES OF
OYSTERS WHICH MAY BE CAUGHT OR TAKEN FROM THE
NATURAL OYSTER BARS OF THE STATE, AND MAY AMEND THESE
DAILY CATCH LIMITS FROM TIME TO TIME, AS A MEANS OF
CONSERVING THE PUBLIC OYSTER RESOURCE. NOTICE OF THE
ESTABLISHMENT OR AMENDMENT OF THESE CATCH LIMITS
SHALL BE GIVEN BY PUBLICATION OF A NOTICE IN AT LEAST ONE
NEWSPAPER IN EACH COUNTY NOT LESS THAN ONE WEEK PRIOR
TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE.

(B)  ALL OYSTERS LANDED OR OFFERED FOR SALE ON ANY DAY
BY ANY PERSON LICENSED TO TAKE OR CATCH OYSTERS WHICH
ARE IN EXCESS OF THE DAILY CATCH LIMIT SHALL BE AND
REMAIN THE PROPERTY OF THE STATE, AND PAYMENT SHALL BE
MADE DIRECTLY TO THE STATE BY THE BUYER OR RECEIVER OF
THE OYSTERS AT THE SAME PRICE PAID THE CATCHER FOR THE
BALANCE OF HIS CATCH. ALL FUNDS RECEIVED UNDER THIS
SUBSECTION SHALL BE DEPOSITED TO THE CREDIT OF THE
FISHERIES RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUND AND SHALL BE
USED FOR REPLETION OF THE NATURAL OYSTER BARS OF THE
STATE.