Shellfish may be taken by commercial harvesters from areas classified as conditional-closed, restricted, or conditionally restricted when they are removed for transplanting, relay, including seed oyster harvesting, depuration or depletion from prohibited areas under licenses issued by the Department of Agriculture and under supervision of the department and local health agencies having jurisdiction, provided said licensee shall notify the designated local enforcement agency of the intended commencement, probable duration and termination of harvesting within that jurisdiction and shall be limited to quantities as may be established by a shellfish management plan reviewed by the Department of Agriculture and adopted by the local shellfish commission or other local agency having jurisdiction over the shellfish. The issuance of licenses by the Department of Agriculture shall not prohibit any town, city or borough from control of harvesting operations in approved areas or conditionally or temporarily closed areas on the basis of residence, quantity or size of shellfish harvested from specific areas, or time of harvesting, or nullify any state law controlling such operations on the basis of residence, quantity or size of shellfish harvested, or time of harvesting.
(1949 Rev., S. 4192; P.A. 77-614, S. 323, 610; P.A. 82-334, S. 1; P.A. 89-321, S. 8, 12; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(f); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 77-614 replaced department of health with department of health services, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 82-334 amended section to authorize commercial harvesters to remove shellfish in limited quantities from permanently closed areas upon notice to the local shellfish commission and allowed local control of open areas or conditionally or temporarily closed areas; Sec. 19-59 transferred to Sec. 19a-101 in 1983; P.A. 89-321 made technical changes related to the classification system and the transfer of authority for the regulation of shellfishing from the department of health services to the department of agriculture; Sec. 19a-101 transferred to Sec. 26-192h in 1991; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Department of Agriculture with Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.
See Sec. 26-192i for definition of “shellfish”.
Structure Connecticut General Statutes
Chapter 491 - State Shellfisheries
Section 26-192. - Exclusive jurisdiction of state.
Section 26-192a. - Lead agency.
Section 26-192b. - Standards for shellfish testing.
Section 26-192c. (Formerly Sec. 19a-96). - Inspection and regulations concerning shellfish. License.
Section 26-192f. (Formerly Sec. 19a-99). - Penalties.
Section 26-192g. (Formerly Sec. 19a-100). - Enforcement.
Section 26-192i. (Formerly Sec. 19a-95). - Shellfish; definition.
Section 26-192l. - Department of Agriculture's shellfish research and survey vessel.
Section 26-192m. - Aquaculture Advisory Council. Membership. Duties. Annual report.
Section 26-193. - Natural oyster beds: Map on file.
Section 26-195. - State ground; determination of disputed boundaries.
Section 26-196. - Determination of disputed boundaries in other cases.
Section 26-197. - Commissioners' fees on hearings.
Section 26-198. - Fees for recording or copying.
Section 26-199. - Recording of transfers.
Section 26-200. - Survey and staking; maps; fee.
Section 26-201. - Release to the state.
Section 26-202. - Leasing beacon ground.
Section 26-203. - Buoying of certain natural beds.
Section 26-205. - Wardens; appointment, duties and powers.
Section 26-206. - Shellfish police.
Section 26-207. - Taxation of shellfish grounds.
Section 26-208. - Laying of tax.
Section 26-210. - Collection of tax.
Section 26-211. - Taxes unpaid five years; reversion.
Section 26-212. - Licensing and numbering of shellfish vessels. Fee.
Section 26-213. - License to work on natural beds.
Section 26-214. - Nonresident oystermen. Foreign vessels prohibited.
Section 26-217. - Use of chain bags on natural oyster beds.
Section 26-218. - License forfeited on conviction.
Section 26-219. - License to take conchs.
Section 26-220. - Shellfish spawning beds.
Section 26-224. - Deposit of injurious substances in tidal waters or on oyster ground. Penalty.
Section 26-224a. - Depositing of shellfish in tidal waters. Regulations.
Section 26-225. - Stealing oysters.
Section 26-226. - Injury to enclosure.
Section 26-227. - Taking from designated but unmarked ground.
Section 26-228. - Taking shellfish between sunset and sunrise.
Section 26-229. - Injury to monuments.
Section 26-230. - Speculation in ground prohibited. Illegally staking ground.
Section 26-231. - Towing dredge prohibited.
Section 26-232. - Taking oysters from natural beds or the Housatonic or Saugatuck Rivers.
Section 26-233. - Taking oysters from Housatonic River.
Section 26-234a. - Daily limit on oysters.
Section 26-234b. - Taking of eastern oysters. Regulations.
Section 26-236. - Uncertified natural grounds.
Section 26-237a. - Deposit of cultch material on state shellfish beds.
Section 26-237b. - Shellfish Fund.
Section 26-237c. - License for the harvesting of oysters from state shellfish grounds.