Title 50, Fish, Game and Watercraft

(A) The department has jurisdiction over all natural shell deposits, including oysters, clams, and other mollusks occurring upon or within state-owned bottoms, and over all shell deposits lying above mean high water if those deposits have been created by the process of accretion …

It is unlawful to remove shell from any shell deposits under state jurisdiction except as provided by this article. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dolla…

It is unlawful to take, possess, sell, or purchase a living whelk (conch) of the genus Busycon of less than a size as determined by the department but not less than four inches in maximum dimension if taken or landed in this State for a commercial purpose, provided this prohibiti…

(A) It is unlawful: (1) to remove, wilfully damage, or interfere with any fishing equipment belonging to another; (2) to remove the catch without possessing written permission of the owner of the equipment, except channel nets must be operated only by the licensee; or (3) to wilf…

It is unlawful to use poison, an explosive, or a bang stick or similar device in state waters to take marine resources. A person who violates this section by use of poison or an explosive other than a bang stick or similar device is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, m…

(A) It is unlawful to catch or take shrimp by any means for commercial purposes outside the General Trawling Zone or outside the legal channel net zones as established by the department, other than for sale as live bait, or in or near any waters or bottoms which have been baited …

(A) Effective July 1, 2000, the following may not obtain or attempt to obtain a shrimp baiting license: (1) any person who, or officer of a corporation which, owns a vessel specified on a trawl license; (2) any person named as master of a vessel specified on a trawl license appli…

(A) When taking shrimp over bait, there is a catch limit of not more than forty-eight quarts of whole shrimp or twenty-nine quarts of headed shrimp, for each set of poles a day. When no bait is being used, the catch limit is forty-eight quarts of whole shrimp or twenty-nine quart…

Effective July 1, 2002, when taking shrimp over bait, no cast net may be used having a mesh size smaller than one-half inch square measure or one inch stretch measure. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than …

The operator of any vessel engaged in commercial fishing is responsible for accurately determining the location of his vessel in order that he not violate any closed or restricted area.

(A) The operator and crew of any watercraft operating in state waters are required to heave to when signaled or hailed, and allow boarding by law enforcement officers or U.S. Coast Guard personnel. (B) The operator, crew, and passengers of any watercraft operating in state waters…

It is unlawful to use a vessel within three hundred feet of any public fishing piers which extend into the Atlantic Ocean. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundre…

(A) It is unlawful for a person to take, possess, sell, or offer for sale, any sponge crab or female crab from which the sponge has been removed. It is not unlawful to temporarily take sponge crabs incidental to lawful crabbing operations so long as the sponge crabs are returned …

(A) For the purposes of this section, "day" means sunrise on one day to sunrise on the following day. (B) It is unlawful for a person to take or possess for recreational purposes more than one bushel of blue crabs in any one day, not to exceed two bushels in any one day on any bo…

(A) Except as provided in this section, it is unlawful for a commercial saltwater fisherman licensed to set, move, fish, retrieve, or remove catch from traps which may be used to take blue crabs; or to transport aboard a vessel more than twenty-four blue crabs or parts or product…

(A) Except as provided in this chapter, it is unlawful for a person to take, possess, sell or offer for sale any blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) of a size smaller than five inches measured from the tip of one lateral spine across the back of the shell to the tip of the opposite l…

It is lawful for licensed wholesale seafood dealers to import blue crabs of less than the minimum size specified in this article when permitted by the department. Each shipment of imported blue crabs must have with it a bill of sale or other documentation dated no earlier than th…

(A) Any vessel used in aid of taking blue crabs by trap or transporting live blue crabs taken by traps for commercial purposes must display crab trap identification numbers assigned by the department as authorized in Article 5 of this chapter. The numbers must be displayed perman…

(A) It is unlawful to take or possess a stone crab or stone crab parts except as provided herein. (B) A stone crab having two claws may be temporarily taken for removal of the larger claw provided the larger claw is two and three-fourths inches in length or larger measured by a s…

(A) Taking or possessing horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) is unlawful except under permit granted by the department. A permit is not required to possess a cast off or molted shell (exoskeleton) of a horseshoe crab. (B) The department may permit the taking or possession of hor…

It is unlawful to set a trap used for taking blue crab for commercial purposes within these waters of the State: (1) Pawley's Island Creek and Midway Creek on Pawley's Island in Georgetown County; (2) one hundred fifty feet of the mean low tide watermark on Atlantic Ocean shoreli…

(A) The department must promulgate regulations establishing criteria for the designation of closed seasons and closed or partially closed areas for the taking of blue crabs by trap. In accordance with the established criteria, the department may designate closed seasons and close…

As used in this title pertaining to saltwaters: (1) "Anadromous" identifies fish which undertake adult migration from brackish or salt waters into freshwaters to spawn, except striped bass or rock fish and hybrid bass, and includes landlocked stocks of those fish. (2) "Bang stick…

(A) This article governs specific diadromous fisheries in both freshwaters and salt waters. (B) The department may restrict the number of devices for taking shad, herring, or eels in any body of water because of statutory limitations on placement of devices or to prevent congesti…

The department must monitor the various drainage basins and water bodies of this State and may promulgate regulations to set seasons, take (catch) and size limits, areas, methods, times, equipment requirements, and catch reporting requirements for taking of shad, herring, and stu…

In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions govern seasons, times, methods, equipment, size limits, and take limits in commercial fishing for shad in the waters of this State specified below: (a) Black River, Great Pee Dee River, Little Pee Dee River, Lynches…

In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions govern seasons, times, methods, equipment, size limits, and take limits in commercial fishing for herring in the waters of this State: (a) Black River, Little Pee Dee River, Lynches River, Sampit River, and the Wacc…

In addition to other provisions of law, the following provisions govern seasons, times, methods, equipment, size limits, and take limits in fishing for Atlantic sturgeon in the waters of this State: (a) Territorial sea: Season: No open season. (b) Internal waters: Season: No open…

(A) The following special provisions apply to shad and herring: (1) It is unlawful to take shad by hook and line or by skim-bow net while operating or possessing any commercial fishing equipment for taking shad or herring. (2) It is unlawful for a recreational fisherman to take s…

(A) Except as provided in this section, a person taking or attempting to take shad by cast net, skim-bow net, or by hook and line including rod and reel may take or possess no more than an aggregate of ten American and hickory shad in any one day. (B) A person taking or attemptin…

A person not licensed as a commercial saltwater fisherman taking or attempting to take herring by cast net or by hook and line, including rod and reel, may take or possess no more than an aggregate of one bushel of herring in any one day. In freshwaters, a person must hold a fres…

(A) Any sturgeon taken during the closed season or in closed areas or with unauthorized equipment must be released immediately back into the waters where taken. (B) A person taking or possessing any Atlantic sturgeon or any part or product thereof, except as allowed by regulation…

A person who receives Atlantic sturgeon or any part or product thereof other than at retail or for consumption must maintain records for a period of no less than one year. Records must include: (1) the number and weight of sturgeon received; (2) the type and amount of part or pro…

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, it is unlawful for anyone to take, possess, buy, sell, or ship shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) or any part or product thereof. Any shortnose sturgeon taken incidentally to fishing activity must be returned unharmed immediat…

(A) No shad, herring, or sturgeon net, including its cables, lines, or attached devices, either set, drift, or fished in the waters of this State may be of a length greater than one-half the normal width of the water body at the place where used, regardless of the stage of the ti…

(A) During times and periods when taking of shad by net is not allowed, any net which could be used for taking shad must be removed from the waters. (B) During times and periods when taking of herring by net is not allowed, any net which could be used for taking herring must be r…

Any net or seine set in the waters of this State which contains decomposed fish is contraband and must be seized and disposed of as provided in this chapter.

(A) The department may grant permits to licensed commercial saltwater or freshwater fishermen to engage in the fishery for eels in the waters of this State for commercial purposes. A person taking American eels for commercial purposes must first acquire a permit from the departme…

(A) In the inshore waters, except for that portion of the Savannah River from the saltwater-freshwater dividing line downstream to the mouth of the Savannah River defined by a line from Jones Island, S.C. (also known as Oysterbed Island) point at N. 32° 02' 18" (N 32.03833°), W. …

A commercial fisherman who sells shad, herring, or eels must sell to either a licensed wholesale seafood dealer or a licensed bait dealer or must be licensed as a wholesale seafood dealer or bait dealer.

(A) A person who violates a provision of this article must be punished as directed by the individual sections. If no penalty is prescribed, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dolla…

(A) There is established the Flounder Population Study Program to be administered by the Department of Natural Resources. The program shall study the effects of flounder catch limits and the prohibition of artificial illumination produced by motor fuel powered generators on floun…

(A) It is unlawful to sell, purchase, trade, or barter or attempt to sell, purchase, trade, or barter saltwater gamefish in this State regardless of where taken except as provided in this chapter. (B) It is unlawful to take or attempt to take saltwater gamefish in the waters of t…

(A) As used in this article, a day means sunrise on one day to sunrise on the following day. (B) The limits established in this article apply to all state waters. (C) It is unlawful for a person to take or have in possession more than ten spotted seatrout in any one day. (D) It i…

(A) The limits established in this article apply to all state waters. (B) Except as provided in Article 21, it is unlawful to take, possess, land, sell, purchase, or attempt to sell or purchase: (1) spotted seatrout (Cynoscion nebulosus) (winter trout) of less than fourteen inche…

(A) The following limits to cobia (Rachycentron canadum) are: (1) one per person per day and no more than three per boat per day taken or possessed recreationally within the Southern Cobia Management Zone from June first to April thirtieth subject to a minimum size requirement of…