No person shall take or gather for commercial purposes oysters, clams, mussels or other molluscan shellfish from any natural shellfish bed in the state and no person shall be permitted upon any boat, licensed pursuant to the provisions of section 26-212, while the boat is being used for such taking or gathering until the person has been licensed in the manner provided in this section. The person shall apply in writing, to the Commissioner of Agriculture upon blanks to be furnished by the commissioner, stating his name, residence and post-office address and such other information as may be required by said commissioner, and said commissioner, upon payment of a fee of twenty dollars, shall issue to the person a license for such purpose. All licenses so issued shall be revocable at any time by the commissioner and shall expire on the twentieth day of July in each year. The commissioner shall account to the Treasurer for all moneys received for licenses under the provisions of this section. Any person who violates any of the provisions of this section relating to licensing shall be guilty of a class D misdemeanor.
(1949 Rev., S. 5045; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 351; 1972, P.A. 52, S. 21; P.A. 78-334, S. 2; P.A. 82-91, S. 29, 38; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3, S. 304; P.A. 12-80, S. 88.)
History: 1971 act replaced references to shellfish commissioners and commission and to clerk of shellfisheries with references to environmental protection commissioner; 1972 act replaced environmental protection commissioner with commissioner of agriculture; P.A. 78-334 raised license fee from $5 to $10 and increased maximum fine from $50 to $100; P.A. 82-91 expanded the licensing requirements of this section to include not only persons on boats, licensed under Sec. 26-212, while the boat is being used for dredging, but also persons taking, for commercial purposes, oysters, clams, mussels or other molluscan shellfish from any natural shellfish bed in the state, and persons on any boat licensed under Sec. 26-212 while the boat is used for such taking; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp.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; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 09-3 increased fee from $10 to $20 and made a technical change; P.A. 12-80 replaced penalty of a fine of not more than $100 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both with a class D misdemeanor and made technical changes.
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.