(a) Any town, city or borough, acting by its legislative body or its board of selectmen, if a town, or its mayor, if a city, or its warden, if a borough, may establish a shellfish commission or may join with one or more other towns, cities or boroughs, acting by their respective legislative bodies or boards of selectmen or mayors or wardens, as the case may be, in establishing such a commission. The number of members and their term of office shall be determined by the legislative body or board of selectmen or mayor or warden, as the case may be, or, in the case of such joint action, by agreement of the legislative bodies or boards of selectmen or mayors or wardens, as the case may be.

(b) Such commission shall have charge of all the shellfisheries and shellfish grounds lying in such municipality or municipalities not granted to others and not under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Agriculture, including all rivers, inland waters and flats adjacent to all beaches and waters within the limits and marine bounds of the municipality or municipalities. The commission may designate suitable places in the navigable waters within its jurisdiction for planting or cultivating oysters, clams or mussels. The commission may issue licenses for the taking of shellfish therefrom and fix the fees therefor, may designate the quantities of such shellfish to be taken, the sizes of such shellfish and the methods of taking. The commission may prohibit the taking of such shellfish from certain designated areas for periods not in excess of one year. All moneys collected by the commission under the provisions of this section shall be paid to the commission and used by it for the protection and propagation of the shellfish under its control. Any person who violates any regulation issued by the commission pursuant to this section shall be fined not more than two hundred fifty dollars.

(c) The commission shall prepare and periodically update a shellfish management plan. The plan shall be submitted to the Commissioner of Agriculture and any appropriate board of selectmen, mayor or warden for review and comment.

(d) All updates to the commission's shellfish management plan made pursuant to subsection (c) of this section and any comments made by the Department of Agriculture regarding such updates shall be in writing and shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 14.

(1963, P.A. 306; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 365; 1972, P.A. 52, S. 35; P.A. 79-293, S. 4; P.A. 86-225, S. 14; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 09-195, S. 1; P.A. 12-80, S. 35.)

History: 1971 act replaced state shellfish commissioners with commissioner of environmental protection; 1972 act replaced commissioner of environmental protection with commissioner of agriculture; P.A. 79-293 made provisions of Subsec. (a) applicable with respect to boroughs and their wardens; P.A. 86-225 amended Subsec. (b) authorizing the commissions to designate shellfish grounds and added Subsec. (c) regarding shellfish management plans; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Agriculture with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 09-195 added Subsec. (d) re updates and comments to commission's shellfish management plan, effective July 1, 2009; P.A. 12-80 amended Subsec. (b) to replace penalty of a fine of not more than $50 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both with a fine of not more than $250.

Cited. 231 C. 418.