Title 50, Fish, Game and Watercraft

(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…

A person who violates this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days and must pay restitution to the department. Each fish taken, possesse…

This article may be cited as the "South Carolina Recreational Fisheries Conservation and Management Act".

(A) Charter fishing vessels shall maintain a log of the number of persons carried each day, number of hours engaged in fishing, number of fish by species caught each day and other information considered necessary by the department. The logs must be submitted to the department mon…

If a coastal state which has or establishes a saltwater recreational fisheries license recognizes through statute, regulation, or reciprocal agreement the validity of a South Carolina saltwater recreational fisheries license within its boundaries, South Carolina must recognize th…

The department may produce stamps as commemorative or collectors items which must be sold for not less than five dollars and fifty cents. The stamp does not authorize recreational fishing. The proceeds must be retained by the department.

The department may create and design the stamp and license and develop saltwater recreational fisheries prints and related articles. The department is responsible for the administration, sale, and distribution of the stamps, licenses, prints, and related articles.

(A) A Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee is established to assist in prioritizing the expenditures of monies received in the special account. The committee is composed of: (1) one member of the Board of the Department of Natural Resources to serve ex officio; (2)…

(A) The department has jurisdiction over all saltwater fish, fishing, fisheries, and marine resources within the salt waters of this State, including the territorial sea. (B) The department is authorized to conduct research, surveys, and other investigations to manage fish and ma…

(A) The department may grant mariculture permits for collection, importation, and holding of saltwater gamefish, or for other fish for which there are size or possession limits, for brood stock and for the propagation, holding, transport, and processing of the fish produced throu…

(A) The department may grant permits to licensed wholesale seafood dealers for sale of saltwater gamefish or for other fish for which there are size or possession limits, grown in permitted mariculture operations. Permits may be conditioned to include sales reporting requirements…

(A) It is unlawful to take or possess diamond-backed terrapin for a commercial purpose. A person may possess no more than two diamond-backed terrapin for a noncommercial purpose. Nothing in this section prohibits the incidental catch of terrapin by persons engaged in a lawful fis…

(A) The department may grant permits to remove wild live rock solely for scientific or educational purposes. (B) The department shall: (1) facilitate the aquaculture of live rock in state waters; (2) establish a permitting system to enable interested parties to establish live roc…

(A) It is unlawful for a person, which includes a corporation, to display a wild caught or captive-bred mammal of the order Cetacean (dolphins and whales). (B) A person violating this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not more than one thousan…

(A) The department shall enforce all laws for collection of revenues due this State from the saltwater fishing industries and from permitting the use of bottoms and waters. (B) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the department is authorized to open and maintain a financi…

(A) There are established the following point values to be assigned by the department in suspending the saltwater privileges of persons or entities found to be in violation of one or more of the items listed below. Point assignments shall be: (1) failing to keep records or make r…

(A) Each time a person is convicted of a violation enumerated in Section 50-5-2500 the number of points assigned to a violation must be charged against him under a point category. Point categories are: (1) commercial, and (2) recreational. Points resulting from any violation must…

(A) The department must suspend for one year the related saltwater privileges and associated licenses and permits issued to a person or entity that has accumulated eighteen or more points under any point category. Privileges related to each point category are as follows: (1) comm…

(A) Upon determination by the department that a person or entity has accumulated sufficient points to warrant the suspension of any saltwater privilege, the department must notify the person or entity in writing that the person's or entity's saltwater privilege has been suspended…

Except when authorized by a federal permit, it is unlawful for any person to catch, attempt to catch, feed, feed by hand, kill, or harass any mammalian dolphin or porpoise. A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less …

A person or entity whose saltwater privileges have been suspended may appeal the decision of the department under the Administrative Procedures Act.

After the expiration of a period of suspension of saltwater privileges under a point category the person's or entity's record must be cleared of points in only that category. When a person's or entity's privileges are suspended under another article and the person or entity has a…

The department shall administer and enforce this article and may promulgate regulations for its implementation. The department must inform the public of the point system.

A person engaging in activities prohibited by this chapter while the person is under suspension, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, for a first offense must be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned thirty days and …

(A) While under suspension for recreational activities, any person found guilty of a commercial violation of this chapter shall have all saltwater privileges suspended for one year. (B) While under suspension for commercial activities, any person found guilty of a recreational vi…

(A) It is unlawful for a person whose commercial privileges are suspended under this chapter: (1) to take or attempt to take saltwater fish for commercial purposes; or (2) to be on board any vessel while the vessel is being utilized to take or in an attempt to take saltwater fish…

In pursuance of Article III of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Compact, of which this State is a signatory, there shall be three members, hereinafter called compact commissioners, of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, hereinafter called the Compact Commission, …

The Compact Commission and the compact commissioners thereof shall have all the powers provided in the compact and all the powers necessary or incidental to the carrying out of the compact in every particular.

All officers of this State shall do all things falling within their respective provinces and jurisdiction necessary or incidental to the carrying out of the compact in every particular, it being hereby declared to be the policy of this State to perform and carry out the compact a…

The Compact Commission shall keep accurate accounts of all receipts and disbursements and shall report to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before the tenth day of December in each year, setting forth in detail the transactions conducted by it during the preceding calen…

The State Auditor may from time to time examine the accounts and books of the Compact Commission, including its receipts, disbursements, and such other items referring to its financial standing as the State Auditor may consider proper, and report the results to the State Budget a…

(A) Except as provided in this chapter, the size, catch, bag, and possession limits, fishing period closures, and requirements pertaining to the taking, release, landing, sale, purchase, trade, or barter of sharks or shark parts prescribed by those federal regulations implemented…

(A) Unless otherwise provided by law, any regulations promulgated by the federal government under the Fishery Conservation and Management Act (PL 94-265) or the Atlantic Tuna Conservation Act (PL 94-70) which establishes seasons, fishing periods, gear restrictions, sales restrict…

A person who violates this article is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days and must pay restitution to the department. Each fish, lobster, or ot…

(A) The department may promulgate regulations for the government of the force under its control and for the control of fisheries, not contrary to or inconsistent with the laws and policy of the State, having the force and effect of law. (B) In promulgating regulations, the depart…

(A) For the privilege of taking or landing anadromous fish, saltwater fish, or fisheries products for commercial purposes, a resident must obtain a commercial saltwater fishing license for a fee of twenty-five dollars unless specifically exempted in this article. A resident must …

(A) To be granted a resident commercial saltwater license authorized under this chapter: (1) an applicant must present a statement from the South Carolina Department of Revenue indicating the applicant filed a South Carolina income tax form as a resident for the previous calendar…

(A) For the privilege of taking or landing anadromous fish, saltwater fish, or fisheries products for commercial purposes, a nonresident must obtain a nonresident commercial saltwater fishing license for a fee of three hundred dollars unless specifically exempted in this article.…

A person taking or attempting to take saltwater fish or operating a fishing vessel used in aid of taking saltwater fish for a commercial purpose without first acquiring the required commercial saltwater fishing license is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fine…

(A) The department has the authority to close any commercial or recreational fishing season, area, or activity in the salt waters of this State when a natural or man-induced emergency threatens the future or present well-being of a fishery resource or its habitat in a part of or …

For the privilege of taking molluscan shellfish from state-owned bottoms not under permit from the department for commercial purposes or in a quantity greater than those allowed for personal use as provided in this chapter, any licensed resident commercial saltwater fisherman mus…

(A) Commercial equipment, excluding vessels, used in the salt waters of this State and in fisheries for anadromous and catadromous species in any waters of this State must be licensed by the department. The owner and operator are responsible for obtaining a license: (1) to use a …

(A) A person may fish or use the following in the salt waters of this State solely for recreational purposes without being commercially licensed: (1) shrimp seines; (2) hand-operated tongs, rakes except bull rakes, and forks except seed forks, used to harvest shellfish; (3) hook …

(A) The department may grant no more than a cumulative total of sixty licenses for the use of channel nets in any one year. Applicants who held channel net licenses in the previous license year and who were not in violation of conservation laws or regulations must be given prefer…

(A) The department may grant permits for taking, holding, and propagating fish or other marine resources excluding any marine mammals for: (1) exploratory; (2) experimental; (3) scientific; (4) educational; or (5) commercial display purposes. These permits may authorize activitie…

(A) In order to obtain any permit authorized under this chapter for taking marine resources except scientific, educational, and commercial display permits, a person must be a licensed commercial saltwater fisherman and hold all other required licenses. (B) Any permit granted may …