South Carolina § 50-5-550 - Trap buoy size, material, catch release feature and identification tag or other identifying information requirements; seizure of unmarked traps.

§ 50-5-550. Trap buoy size, material, catch release feature and identification tag or other identifying information requirements; seizure of unmarked traps.

(A) Other than minnow traps not used for a commercial purpose, and traps with lines attached to a shore based structure and not used for a commercial purpose, each trap set in the waters of this State must have attached to it a buoy made of solid, buoyant material which does not sink if punctured or if cracked. A spherical or nonspherical primary buoy must be attached to each trap. A nonspherical buoy must be at least ten inches in length and five inches in diameter or width. A spherical buoy must be at least six inches in diameter. No plastic, metal, or glass bottles or jugs may be used as a buoy, and no buoy attached may be made of a material which could sink if punctured or cracked. No floating line or rope may be used. Minnow traps used for commercial purposes must utilize floats no smaller than five inches marked with the operator's name.

(B) The department may require that each trap set in the salt waters of this State have catch release features and identification tags designated by the department.

(C) Each licensed commercial saltwater fisherman licensed to fish traps must acquire an identification number assigned by the department. No person may acquire or attempt to acquire more than one identification number. The assigned identification number must be burned or branded on each primary trap buoy in numerals of at least two inches in height, must be clearly legible, must be in a color contrasting that of the buoy, and must be unobstructed and visible when the buoy is at rest in the water.

(D) The buoy of traps used by individuals for personal use as provided by law in lieu of the identification number required on commercial traps must bear the owner's name and current address and must be yellow in color.

(E) A trap not marked in accordance with this section is contraband and must be seized and disposed of as provided in this chapter.

HISTORY: 2000 Act No. 245, SECTION 3; 2002 Act No. 342, SECTION 24; 2013 Act No. 7, SECTION 6, eff March 22, 2013.

Effect of Amendment

The 2013 amendment, in subsection (A), deleted "and bait dealer license number" from the end.