MARVIN MANDEL, Governor

1029

licensed tongers, who earn their livelihood by catching
oysters, for each tidewater county of the state. When
planting shells or seed oysters or closing or reserving
any tonging area, the department shall confer with and
procure the advice of the committee of oystermen for the
county adjacent or nearest to the area.

[(2) The Fisheries Administration shall submit an
annual summary of the Fisheries Research and Development
Fund, which shall include an accounting of receipts and
expenditures, to the committee of oystermen in each
county.

(3) A similar advisory committee of five licensed
dredgers shall be selected to confer and advise in the
propagation of oysters in the dredging areas. When a
vacancy occurs because a member is unable or unwilling to
serve and this vacancy is not filled by the licensed
oystermen of the particular county within 30 days after
the vacancy occurs, the department shall make the
necessary appointments to fill each vacancy. When the
committee members are selected or when any vacancy is
filled, the department shall promptly notify the members
of the General Assembly from the county of the names of
the committee members selected or appointed to fill a
vacancy in that county.]

(2)    A SIMILAR ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF FIVE
LICENSED DREDGERS SHALL BE SELECTED TO CONFER AND ADVISE
IN THE PROPAGATION OF OYSTERS IN THE DREDGING AREAS.

(3)    THE TERM OF MEMBERSHIP FOR EACH
COMMITTEE IS FOUR YEARS, EXCEPT THAT OF THE ORIGINAL
COMMITTEEMEN, THREE ARE TO SERVE A FOUR-YEAR TERM AND TWO
ARE TO SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM. EACH TERM BEGINS ON MARCH
1.

(4)    IF A VACANCY OCCURS BECAUSE A MEMBER IS
UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO SERVE [[AND THIS VACANCY IS NOT
FILLED BY THE LICENSED OYSTERMEN OF THE PARTICULAR COUNTY
WITHIN 30 DAYS]]. THE DEPARTMENT IMMEDIATELY SHALL
NOTIFY IN WRITING EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE
VACANCY. THE COMMITTEE SHALL ARRANGE FOR A SEW ELECTION
TO FILL THE VACANCY. IF THE VACANCY IS NOT FILLED WITHIN
60 DAYS AFTER THE VACANCY OCCURS, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL
MAKE THE NECESSARY APPOINTMENTS TO FILL EACH VACANCY.
WHEN COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE SELECTED OR WHEN ANY VACANCY
IS FILLED, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL NOTIFY PROMPTLY THE
MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY FROM THE COUNTY OF THE
NAMES OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SELECTED OR APPOINTED TO
FILL A VACANCY IN THAT COUNTY. AN APPOINTMENT TO A
VACANCY IN AN UNEXPIRED TERM IS LIMITED TO THE REMAINDER
OF THE TERM.