Article — Natural Resources

Section 4-1014

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1997 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)
(As enacted by Section 1 of this Act)

BY adding to

Article - Natural Resources

Section 4-1014

Annotated Code of Maryland

(1997 Replacement Volume and 1998 Supplement)

SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF
MARYLAND, That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

Article - Natural Resources

4-1014.

(a) This section applies only to the waters of the State that lie contiguous to
Somerset County in the Chesapeake Bay.

(b) A person shall be licensed by the Department before the person may catch
oysters with a power dredge in the waters of the State that lie contiguous to Somerset
County, as described in subsection (a) of this section.

(c) (1) A person may not hold an oyster harvester license and a power
dredge license simultaneously.

(2) The Department:

(i) May issue a power dredge license only to the holder of an oyster
harvester license; and

(ii) Shall suspend a person's oyster harvester license on issuance of
a power dredge license until the time that the holder surrenders the power dredge
license to the Department.

(3) (i) If a person wants to reobtain the person's previously valid
oyster harvester license, the person shall return the person's currently valid power
dredging license to the Department.

(ii) Upon receipt of the power dredging license, the Department
shall exchange at no cost the power dredging license for the person's former, currently
valid oyster license.

(d) A THE DEPARTMENT SHALL ESTABLISH ZONES BY REGULATION WITHIN
THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN WHICH A person may catch oysters by power dredge only
during the power dredging season from November 1 to March 15 in the following
areas 30: