Senate Bill No. 929
Public Act No. 21-124
AN ACT CONCERNING PENALTIES FOR THE TAKING OF STRIPED
BASS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 26-159a of the general statutes is repealed and the
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from passage):
To establish and manage populations of marine and anadromous
finfish and marine arthropods and to facilitate the establishment of
unified coast-wide regulations in accordance with the provisions of
fishery management plans developed pursuant to the Fishery
Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (Public Law 94-265, as
amended) or other regional fishery management authorities, the
Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection may adopt
regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 governing
possession of such species, sport fishing and commercial fishing by
persons fishing for such species in the waters of this state or landing
such species in this state, regardless of where such species were taken.
Such regulations may: (1) Establish the open and closed seasons; (2)
establish hours, days or periods during the open season when fishing
shall not be permitted in designated waters or areas for all or limited
species by all or limited methods; (3) establish legal lengths; (4) prescribe
the legal methods of sport fishing for all or limited species; (5) establish Senate Bill No. 929
Public Act No. 21-124 2 of 3
for sport fishing the daily creel limit, the season creel limit and the
possession limit; (6) restrict sport fishing from boats and other floating
devices and sport fishing from designated areas; (7) determine the
species which may be taken by commercial fishing methods, provided
striped bass, Atlantic salmon, other anadromous salmon, brown trout,
rainbow trout and brook trout may only be taken by angling and, if
taken in the waters of this state, shall not be sold, bartered, exchanged
or offered for sale, barter or exchange; (8) prescribe the legal methods of
commercial fishing; (9) determine the specifications, materials and
dimensions of nets, seines, fykes, traps, pounds, trawls, trolling gear,
long lines, set lines and other commercial fishing gear used in the waters
of this state; (10) regulate the use and marking of commercial fishing
gear, including boats used to conduct activities authorized pursuant to
section 26-142a; (11) determine the number and size of finfish and
marine arthropods which may be taken by commercial fishermen; (12)
determine the total number and pounds of finfish and marine
arthropods, by species, which may be taken by commercial fishing
methods or for commercial purposes during a calendar year or lesser
period; (13) prohibit the landing of protected species; (14) for a fishing
derby or tournament, require that such activity be registered and that
an accurate report of all fish tagged, marked and taken, time spent on
an area and any other data required by the commissioner for
management purposes be returned within a specified period of time.
Any person who violates any regulation concerning sport fishing
adopted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 and this section
shall have committed an infraction and may pay the fine by mail or
plead not guilty under the provisions of section 51-164n. [, except that
any person who violates any regulation adopted in accordance with the
provisions of chapter 54 and this section pertaining to the taking of
striped bass shall be fined one hundred dollars for each fish taken or
possessed for the first violation, be fined two hundred dollars for each
fish taken or possessed for the second violation and be fined five
hundred dollars for each fish taken or possessed or imprisoned not more Senate Bill No. 929
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than thirty days, or both for each subsequent violation. No part of any
fine imposed for the taking or possession of any striped bass in violation
of any such regulation shall be remitted.]