WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                         Ch. 184

4-736.

(a)     The Department may supervise, regulate, and control catching eels in the tidal
waters of the State. In exercising this power, the Department may prescribe the areas
within and methods by which eels may be caught.

(b)     (1) A person may not catch eels for sale with pots or other devices in the
tidal waters of the State without first obtaining a [license] TIDAL FISH LICENSE TO
CATCH FINFISH FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES from the Department.

(2) A LICENSEE WHO IS AUTHORIZED TO CATCH CRABS UNDER THIS
SECTION MAY USE UP TO 50 POTS TO CATCH EELS FOR PERSONAL USE AS CRAB
TROTLINE BAIT WITHOUT OBTAINING AN AUTHORIZATION TO CATCH FINFISH.

(c)     The Department shall adopt rules and regulations concerning commercial
fishing for eels by area, gear, season, size, and reporting of catch.

(d)     Each individual who catches eels for sale or for personal use as bait shall make
catch reports, as prescribed by rule or regulation, on forms provided by the Department.
4-804.

(a)     Any person who owns or is in charge of operating a vessel utilized to catch
crabs in the waters of the State for commercial purposes shall obtain a license.

(b)     Any person crabbing from a "for hire" boat operated by the owner, who is
present on the boat and is licensed to catch crabs for commercial purposes, is not
required to obtain a license.

[(c) (1) Any person desiring to catch crabs in the waters of the State for
noncommercial purposes by using a trotline in excess of 500 feet first shall obtain a
license.

(2)     Only one occupant on a boat used to catch crabs for noncommercial
purposes shall be required to have a license. The daily catch of the boat shall be limited
to 2 bushels per licensee.

(3)     A person holding a commercial crabber's license to catch crabs for sale
may catch crabs for noncommercial purposes in accordance with the provisions of this
section without paying the fee for noncommercial crabbing.

(4)     A person may not set or fish a trotline or collapsible crab trap within 50
feet of a trotline.

(d) A person who does not possess a license to catch crabs may not catch more
than one bushel of crabs on any day or more than 2 bushels per boat per day.]

SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That the Laws of Maryland
read as follows:

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