Bill 505

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               505
Ratification Number:       77
Act Number                 45
Introducing Body:          Senate
Subject:                   Hard clam resource regulated

(A45, R77, S505)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 50-17-366, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO SIZE LIMITS ON HARD CLAMS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A CLAM HATCHERY OR MARICULTURE OPERATION MAY POSSESS, PURCHASE, SELL, OR TRANSPLANT SUBLEGAL SIZED CLAMS, WITHOUT LIMITATION, UPON OBTAINING A PERMIT FROM THE WILDLIFE AND MARINE RESOURCES DEPARTMENT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Hard clam resource regulated

SECTION 1. Section 50-17-366 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 50-17-366. It is unlawful to take, harvest, possess, sell, purchase, or import a hard clam of the genus Mercenaria of less than one inch in thickness, measured as the maximum depth of the intact clam from the exterior surface of one valve of the shell to the exterior surface of the opposite valve. A clam of less than the minimum legal size limit specified in this section must be returned alive immediately to the bottoms where found.

It is lawful for a clam hatchery or mariculture operation to have in possession clams of less than the minimum size limit specified in this section and to purchase, sell, or transplant sublegal sized clams upon obtaining a special permit from the department."

Time effective

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.