Title 26 — Title 26: Fisheries and Game

Sec. 26-257a. Local shellfish commissions. (a) Any town, city or borough, acting by its legislative body or its board of selectmen, if a town, or its mayor, if a city, or its warden, if a borough, may establish a shellfish commission or may join with one or more other towns, citi…

Sec. 26-258. Location of local natural clam or oyster beds. The superior court for the judicial district of New Haven, on the application of the selectmen of the town of West Haven, and the superior court for any judicial district, on the application of the oyster-ground committe…

Sec. 26-259. Maps to be lodged in town clerk's office. The selectmen of the town of West Haven and the committees of other towns shall, at the expense of their respective towns, procure and cause to be lodged and kept in the office of the town clerk of each town, respectively, ac…

Sec. 26-260. Selectmen of Milford and West Haven may prohibit the taking of clams. The selectmen of the towns of West Haven and Milford may, from time to time as they deem expedient, prohibit the taking of long or soft-shell clams from such portions of the natural clam grounds of…

Sec. 26-261. Taking of clams from Oyster River in West Haven and Milford. Section 26-261 is repealed, effective October 1, 2002. (1949 Rev., S. 5111; S.A. 02-12, S. 1.)

Sec. 26-262. Taking of oysters from natural ground in Milford. Section 26-262 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5110; P.A. 78-334, S. 17.)

Secs. 26-263 to 26-265. Taking of clams from Gulf Pond in Milford. Dredging prohibited in New Haven harbor. Dredging in New Haven, Morris Creek and East Haven. Sections 26-263 to 26-265, inclusive, are repealed, effective October 1, 2002. (1949 Rev., S. 5106, 5107, 5112; P.A. 78-…

Sec. 26-266. Shellfisheries in Branford. Grants. Requirements and prohibitions of grants. (a) The selectmen of the town of Branford or shellfish commission established in accordance with section 26-257a shall have charge of all the shellfisheries and shell and shellfish grounds l…

Secs. 26-267 to 26-270. Branford and Farm Rivers. Branford or East Haven shores. Taking of clams from clam flats in and adjacent to the town of Branford. Taking of oysters and claims in Westbrook. Sections 26-267 to 26-270, inclusive, are repealed, effective October 1, 2002. (194…

Secs. 26-271 to 26-275. Powers of Guilford and Madison selectmen. Shellfisheries in Guilford. Restriction of powers of Guilford. Limitation of taking shellfish in Guilford and Madison. Dredging in waters. Sections 26-271 to 26-275, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5087, 50…

Sec. 26-276. Hammonasset River; limitation. Except as otherwise provided, any person who, in any one day, takes, gathers or collects more than two bushels of oysters, clams, mussels or shells, from any portion of Hammonasset River not designated for planting shellfish, shall be f…

Sec. 26-277. Clinton and Madison; special constables. The towns of Clinton and Madison may appoint, at annual or special town meetings, two or more special constables, who may inspect and measure shellfish and shells taken by any person in one day from the portion of the Hammonas…

Sec. 26-278. Jurisdiction of special constables. Such special constables and all informing officers of either of said towns shall inquire after and prosecute any violations of sections 26-276 and 26-277. For the purpose of enforcing the same, special constables, appointed as prov…

Sec. 26-279. Madison; town rights. Sections 26-276, 26-277 and 26-278 shall not in any way affect the rights of the town of Madison created by or claimed under the act establishing the line between the towns of Guilford and Killingworth, passed in December, 1790. (1949 Rev., S. 5…

Sec. 26-280. Taking of shellfish at Saugatuck Shores in Westport. No person shall take, remove or carry away shellfish of any kind from the shores, beaches and flats at “Saugatuck Shores”, so called, in the town of Westport, between June first and October first in each year, exce…

Secs. 26-281 to 26-283. Protection of clams and oysters in Fairfield. Taking of clams from Fairfield Beach. Clamming restricted in Mill River in Fairfield. Sections 26-281 to 26-283, inclusive, are repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5076, 5109, 5113; P.A. 89-321, S. 11, 12.)

Sec. 26-284. Thames River oysters; limitation. Any person who takes or carries away from the Thames River any oyster shells or seed oysters for the purpose of planting the same upon any private oyster bed, or who takes or carries away from said river, except from his own private …

Sec. 26-285. Taking of oysters and clams in Old Lyme regulated. Any person who takes any clams less than two inches in length or more than one-half bushel of clams, or more than one-half bushel of oysters except from an area designated for planting oysters, in any day in the town…

Sec. 26-286. Taking oysters from the inland waters of East Lyme and Waterford. Any person who takes any oysters from the inland waters of the towns of East Lyme and Waterford above the demarcation line during the months of June, July and August shall be fined not more than two hu…

Sec. 26-287. Waterford-East Lyme shellfish commission. Taking of shellfish from Niantic River. (a) The Waterford-East Lyme shellfish commission shall consist of four electors of each of said towns appointed by their respective boards of selectmen. Annually such board shall appoin…

Sec. 26-288. Escallops. No person shall have in his possession any escallops other than adult escallops. For the purpose of this section, an adult escallop is defined as an escallop having a well-defined growth line. All seed escallops taken shall be immediately returned alive to…

Sec. 26-289. Dredging for escallops in Little Narragansett Bay or Stonington Harbor. Section 26-289 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5093; P.A. 79-293, S. 5.)

Sec. 26-290. Taking of escallops in Groton. The town council of Groton may prohibit the taking of escallops from such portions of the waters of said town as they designate, for a period not exceeding one year at a time, and may designate the daily take of escallops from said wate…

Sec. 26-291. Taking of oysters and clams in Stonington. Section 26-291 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5116; 1959, P.A. 53, S. 2.)

Sec. 26-291a. Taking of clams and oysters in Stonington. (a) The board of selectmen in the town of Stonington may prohibit the taking of clams and oysters from such portions of the town waters as it designates from time to time, for a period not exceeding one year at a time, and …

Sec. 26-292. Taking of escallops in the waters of Stonington. The board of selectmen of the town of Stonington may prohibit the taking of escallops from such portions of the waters of said town as they designate, for a period not exceeding one year at a time, and may designate th…

Sec. 26-292a. Cockenoe Flats shellfish grounds, Westport. Jurisdiction. Recreational clamming permits. Jurisdiction of shellfish grounds known as Cockenoe Flats in the town of Westport shall be transferred from the state of Connecticut to the town of Westport and the Westport She…

Sec. 26-292b. Hand-harvesting horseshoe crabs in the town of Stratford. Prohibition. Violation. (a) No person shall engage in the hand-harvest of horseshoe crabs from any area of the shoreline located in the town of Stratford between Stratford Point and Sniffen Point. (b) Any per…

Sec. 26-292c. Recommendations for horseshoe crab taking restricted areas. Not later than January 1, 2020, the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection shall submit recommendations to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters rela…

Sec. 26-292d. Hand-harvesting of horseshoe crabs or eggs. Prohibition. Exception. Fine. Enforcement. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of this title, no person shall engage in the hand-harvesting of horseshoe crabs or the eggs of horseshoe crabs from the waters of this state. (b…

Sec. 26-293. Prosecutions. Section 26-293 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 5121; 1961, P.A. 517, S. 31.)

Sec. 26-294. Penalty. Any person who violates any provision of this chapter, for which no penalty is otherwise provided, shall be fined not more than twenty-five dollars. (1949 Rev., S. 5122.)

Sec. 26-295. Compact for state membership in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The Governor of this state is hereby authorized and directed to execute a compact on behalf of the state of Connecticut with any one or more of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massac…

Sec. 26-296. Joint regulation of specific fisheries. (a) The state of Connecticut hereby enters into an amendment of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact with any one or more of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl…

Sec. 26-297. Members. In pursuance of Article III of said compact there shall be three members, hereinafter called commissioners, of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, hereinafter called commission, from the state of Connecticut. The first commissioner from the stat…

Sec. 26-298. Powers. Section 26-298 is repealed. (1949 Rev., S. 3561; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 152.)

Sec. 26-299. Powers to be additional. Any powers herein granted to the commission shall be regarded as in aid of and supplemental to and in no case a limitation upon any of the powers vested in said commission by other laws of the state of Connecticut or by the laws of the states…

Sec. 26-300. Appropriation for expenses. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection shall include in its budget the estimate of funds required by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, shall account for and disburse funds appropriated to its use and shall inc…

Sec. 26-301. Accounts. The commission shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements and shall report to the Governor and the legislature of the state of Connecticut on or before the tenth day of December in each year, setting forth in detail the transactions cond…

Sec. 26-302. Compact for state membership in the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Commission. The state of Connecticut hereby agrees with the states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, upon enactment by each of them of legislation having the same effect as this section …

Sec. 26-303. Findings. Policy. The General Assembly finds that certain species of wildlife and plants have been rendered extinct as a consequence of man's activities and that other species of wildlife and plants are in danger of or threatened with extinction or have been otherwis…

Sec. 26-304. Definitions. As used in sections 22a-2, 23-5c, 23-74, 23-75, 26-40c, 26-40d, 26-40f and 26-303 to 26-315, inclusive: (1) “Department” means the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection; (2) “Conserve” and “conservation” mean to use all methods and procedures…

Sec. 26-305. Program for the protection of endangered and threatened species. There is established a program for the protection of endangered and threatened species. The commissioner may conduct investigations of wildlife and plants in order to develop information relating to pop…

Sec. 26-306. Regulations. Determination of whether any native species is endangered, threatened or of special concern. List. Essential habitats identified. (a) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, establishing procedures for d…

Sec. 26-307. Review. The commissioner shall review, at least every five years, the designation of species as endangered, threatened or of special concern, and areas identified as essential habitats to determine whether he should: (1) Add or remove any species from the list of end…

Sec. 26-308. Treatment of species not listed as endangered or threatened as endangered or threatened species. (a) The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to treat a species not listed as endangered or threatened pursuant to section…

Sec. 26-309. State acquisition of essential habitat. Management. (a) The commissioner may acquire for and on behalf of the state, essential habitat, or interests therein, for the conservation of endangered, threatened, or species of special concern by gift, devise, purchase, exch…

Sec. 26-310. Actions by state agencies which affect endangered or threatened species or species of special concern or essential habitats of such species. (a) Each state agency, in consultation with the commissioner, shall conserve endangered and threatened species and their essen…

Sec. 26-311. Taking of endangered or threatened species. Construction of chapter. (a) Except as otherwise provided in section 26-310, it is unlawful for (1) any person to wilfully take any endangered or threatened species on or from public property, waters of the state or propert…

Sec. 26-312. Violation. Order. Hearing. If the commissioner or his duly authorized agent finds that any person is conducting any activity or maintaining a facility or condition which is in violation of section 26-311, the commissioner shall issue a written order by certified mail…