(a) The selectmen of the town of Branford or shellfish commission established in accordance with section 26-257a shall have charge of all the shellfisheries and shell and shellfish grounds lying in said town not granted to others and not under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner of Agriculture, between the center line of the Farm or East Haven River and the Guilford town line and below mean high-water mark, with power to issue licenses for the taking of shellfish and shells therefrom and to designate the quantities of such shellfish and shells to be taken, the sizes of such shellfish and the methods of taking. They shall also have power to restrict the taking of such shellfish and shells from certain designated areas for periods not in excess of one year. The grants of all areas of shellfish grounds lying within the boundaries of the town of Branford upon which no tax has been paid for a period of three years preceding shall be deemed vacated and such areas shall revert to the town of Branford and become available for further grant by the selectmen or shellfish commission of said town. Before making a further grant, the selectmen or shellfish commission shall determine if such grounds are suitable for public use and any part thereof so determined shall not be available for such grant. Such grant shall require the applicant to make a good faith effort to cultivate and harvest shellfish from the designated area. Such grant shall prohibit the applicant from entering a contract with another person wherein the applicant agrees to not cultivate or harvest shellfish for any period of time, except upon approval by the shellfish commission or selectmen, as applicable.

(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, any owner of a utility line or public use structure that impacts a designated area shall pay to the designee or grantee the costs of removing or relocating any shellfish. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit the state, the shellfish commission, the board of selectmen or any designee or grantee from recovering damages incurred by the state, the shellfish commission, the board of selectmen, the designee or grantee caused by the installation, construction or presence of such utility line or public use structure.

(1949 Rev., S. 5102; 1971, P.A. 872, S. 366; 1972, P.A. 52, S. 36; P.A. 87-520, S. 2; P.A. 03-263, S. 4; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(e); P.A. 04-109, S. 19; 04-189, S. 1.)

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. 87-520 authorized the shellfish commission to regulate shellfish grounds where before such authority was limited to the board of selectmen, authorized revision after nonpayment of taxes for three rather than five years and added provision limiting grants to grounds not suitable for public use; P.A. 03-263 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended said Subsec. by adding provisions re grant to require the applicant to make a good faith effort to cultivate and harvest shellfish, and prohibit the applicant from entering a contract or agreement not to cultivate or harvest shellfish, and added new Subsec. (b) re costs and damages owed by the owner of a utility line that impacts a designated area, effective July 9, 2003; 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. 04-109 amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective May 21, 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.