NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY

1973 SESSION

 

 

CHAPTER 1315

SENATE BILL 131

 

 

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE EXERCISE OF JURISDICTION OVER MARINE RESOURCES IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.

 

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

Section 1.  Article 13, Chapter 113 of the General Statutes is hereby amended by adding a new section to read as follows:

"§ 113-134.1.  Jurisdiction over Marine Resources in Atlantic Ocean. — The State of North Carolina shall exercise all such jurisdiction, it possesses under the State Constitution, necessary for the maintenance, preservation and protection of all marine fisheries resources from their inland reaches to a line drawn parallel to the entire coastline at a distance of 200 miles or where the water depth reaches 100 fathoms, whichever is greater. The Department of Natural and Economic Resources is hereby given the authority to promulgate the rules and regulations necessary to carry out the intent of this subsection; provided, however, that no such rule or regulation shall become effective until it has been approved by the General Assembly. Such rules and regulations shall be designed to prevent substantial depletion or damaging of the various marine fisheries resources. Any violation of the rules and regulations promulgated under the authority of this subsection shall constitute a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment not to exceed two years, or by a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) or by both such fine and imprisonment. The rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Natural and Economic Resources pursuant to this subsection shall be enforced by the Fisheries Inspectors, in the same manner and with the same authority vested in them by Chapter 113 of the General Statutes.

Sec. 2.  This act shall become effective upon ratification.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified, this the 12th day of April, 1974.