2006 Code of Virginia § 29.1-531 - Unlawful to take or attempt to take, possess, sell or transport fish except as permitted

29.1-531. Unlawful to take or attempt to take, possess, sell or transportfish except as permitted.

A. Unless otherwise provided by a regulation of the Board, it shall beunlawful for any person to take or attempt to take any fish in inland watersother than shad, herring or mullet, except by fishing with a hook and line orrod and reel, held in the hand.

B. It shall be unlawful to catch, trap, take, capture, kill, or attempt totake, capture or kill, possess, deliver for transportation, transport, causeto be transported, receive for transport, export, or import at any time or inany manner any species of game fish, or the carcass or any part thereof,except as specifically permitted by law and only by the means and within thenumbers stated.

C. In Mecklenburg, Pittsylvania, Prince Edward, Charlotte, Campbell, Halifax,Amelia (except between Vaughn's Pond and Meadsville Dam), Caroline and KingGeorge Counties, in the City of Danville, and in the Meherrin River inLunenburg County, it shall be lawful to fish with fish traps, fish pots orhaul seines in any streams and waters, provided that no person shall catchfish with fish traps or fish pots or haul seines for commercial purposes.However, it shall be unlawful in such localities to remove from the watersthereof any game fish caught with fish pots, fish traps or haul seines, andany person doing so shall immediately return them to the waters. The Boardshall have the authority to close any streams or rivers or parts of streamsor rivers in such localities when the waters are stocked with fish by theDepartment.

D. It shall be lawful to sell or offer to sell trout which have been lawfullyacquired, provided such trout have been propagated and raised in a hatcheryor by other artificial means. The Board shall by appropriate regulationestablish a practical system of identification of trout so offered for salefor table or other uses as directed by the Board.

E. It shall be unlawful to offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, orpurchase at any time or in any manner any species of game fish, or thecarcass or any part thereof, except as specifically permitted by law and onlyby the means and within the numbers stated. A violation of the provisions ofthis subsection shall be punishable as provided in 29.1-553.

F. A violation of the provisions of subsections A through D shall constitutea Class 2 misdemeanor.

(Code 1950, 29-148; 1956, c. 490; 1958, c. 514; 1960, c. 126; 1962, c. 469;1966, c. 413; 1987, c. 488; 1994, cc. 413, 848; 2000, cc. 403, 447.)