(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 products thereof, during the following times:

(1) from 9:00 p.m until 5:00 a.m. the following day, local time, from April 1 through September 15 inclusive; and

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Terms Used In South Carolina Code 50-5-1305

  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Fish: means finfish, shellfish including mollusks, crustaceans, horseshoe crabs, whelks (conchs), turtles, and terrapin or products thereof. See South Carolina Code 50-5-15
  • Person: means an individual, a partnership, a firm, a corporation, an association, or other legal entity. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
  • Recreational fishermen: means persons taking or attempting to take saltwater fish for recreation only, and not for commercial purposes. See South Carolina Code 50-5-15
  • Take: means to harass intentionally, hunt, capture, gather, harvest, remove, catch, wound, or kill or attempt to harass, hunt, capture, gather, harvest, remove, catch, wound, or kill. See South Carolina Code 50-5-15
  • Trawl: means a net, other than a haul seine, towed behind a boat. See South Carolina Code 50-5-15
  • Trawling: means fishing with a trawl or having part of a trawl door in the water. See South Carolina Code 50-5-15
  • Use: means operate, navigate, or employ. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10
  • Vessel: means every description of watercraft, other than a seaplane regulated by the federal government, used or capable of being used as a means of transportation on water. See South Carolina Code 50-21-10

(2) from 7:00 p.m until 6:00 a.m the following day, local time, from September 16 through March 31 inclusive.

This prohibition does not apply to recreational fishermen using properly marked personal traps.

A vessel rigged to use a licensed trawl may have blue crabs aboard at night if taken during lawful trawling activity; however, no vessel rigged for trawling may be used to set, move, retrieve, or remove catch from crab traps.

(B) A person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than thirty days.

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