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Mass. General Laws c.130

Marine fish and fisheries

This page links to an unofficial version of each section of G.L. c. 130. Please note that sections that appear missing have been either reserved for future use or repealed.

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§ 1 Definitions; rules of construction 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 238, §§ 234-236, effective November 20, 2024

§ 1A Division of marine fisheries 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 140, § 136, effective July 1, 2024

§ 1B Marine fisheries advisory commission 
§ 1C Division of marine fisheries shellfish advisory panel 

Amended by St.2023, c.28, § 52, effective July 1, 2023.

§ 2 Transferability of licenses, permits and certificates of registration; suspension or voidance for violation of marine laws; surrender; impounding fishing gear 
§ 3 Duplicate license, permit, or certificate 
§ 4 Record of licenses, permits or certificates; inspection; endorsement of date of sale on license, permits and certificates 
§ 4A Administrative inspections 
§ 5 Jurisdictional boundaries 
§ 8A Powers of police officers 
§ 9 Searches, seizures and arrests without warrant 
§ 10 Issuance of search warrant 
§ 12 Seizure and forfeiture of fish unlawfully taken, boats and apparatus; sale; proceeds 
§ 13 Display of fish upon demand; violations 
§ 14 Limitation of actions and prosecutions 
§ 15A Reciprocal enforcement of laws relating to marine fisheries 
§ 16 Occupation of tide waters or work done therein subject to chapter 91 
§ 17 Powers of director 
§ 17A Management of marine fisheries 
§ 17B Aquacultural enterprises; permits 
§ 17C Recreational saltwater fishing permit program; finfishing; for-hire fishing; categories; marine recreational fisheries development panel 
§ 17D Penalties for violation of Sec. 17C 
§ 18 Illegal entry on property maintained for experiments, protection or propagation of fish 
§ 19 Providing passage for salt water fish into fresh water to spawn; refusal or neglect to repair or construct fishway; operation and maintenance of fishways 
§ 20 Increase in supply of shellfish; co-operation with coastal cities and towns; treatment or purification of shellfish 
§ 20A Propagation of shellfish; co-operation with coastal cities and towns 
§ 21 Compilation of statistical information useful to marine fish industries; confidentiality; false reports; refusal or failure 
§ 23 Discharge of oil or other poisonous substances into coastal waters; use of explosives; penalty 
§ 24 Violation of Sec. 23; tort liability 
§ 25 Discharge of sewage or other substance injurious to public health into coastal waters; approved drainage 
§ 26 Jurisdiction and proceedings to enforce Secs. 23 to 25 
§ 27 Criminal and tort liability for discharge of sewage or other substance injurious to public health into coastal waters 
§ 28 Exclusive right of ownership and control of fish of riparian owners of ponds; cultivation rights 
§ 29 Construction of weir, pound net or fish trap 
§ 30 Marking of weir, pound net or fish trap with number of approval 
§ 31 Destruction or injury to fishing gear 

Amended by St. 2024, c. 238, § 237, effective November 20, 2024

§ 33 Reports of owners of boats and fishing gear; marking of fish cars 
§ 34 Catching, buying and selling smelt between March 15 and June 15; wholesale or retail dealers 
§ 35 Taking smelt except by angling; inadvertent taking by net; possession of net, seine or trap as prima facie evidence 
§ 36 Closing portions of streams flowing into coastal waters during spawning season 
§ 37 Lobsters and crabs; licenses 

Amended by St.2021, c.102, § 42, effective December 13, 2021.

§ 37A Green crabs 
§ 38 Licenses; application; fee; eligibility; markings of buoys; exhibition of license 
§ 38A Display of license number and buoy colors 
§ 38B Commercial licenses; catch data; transfers 
§ 39 Hours for tending, lifting or drawing lobster or crab pots or traps 
§ 41 Taking or selling female lobsters bearing eggs 
§ 41A Taking of female egg-bearing lobsters while fishing or landing 
§ 42 Plants for propagation of lobsters; establishment and maintenance 
§ 43 Conditions for taking or possession of egg-bearing lobsters; rearing and liberating of young; disposition of lobsters 
§ 44 Sale or possession of short lobsters; mutilation of short lobsters; prima facie evidence 
§ 44A V-notched lobster 
§ 44B Limits on sales of lobsters taken by methods other than pots or traps 
§ 47 Marking barrels, boxes or containers of lobsters or lobster meat 
§ 48 Disposal of lobsters or lobster meat seized in unmarked containers 
§ 49 Liability of carrier of unmarked containers of lobsters or lobster meat 
§ 50 Forfeiture or liberation of seized lobsters or lobster meat 
§ 51 Sale of native lobsters; representations for purposes of sale 
§ 51A Sale of crabmeat; representations for purposes of sale 
§ 52 Taking of eels, shellfish and sea worms; areas in which commercial taking prohibited 
§ 53 Form of permits; record of issuance 
§ 54 Cultivation, propagation and protection of shellfish; appropriations by cities and towns; close seasons 
§ 55 Aliens; shellfish taken for commercial purposes; permits 
§ 56 Joint control by municipalities of marine fisheries 
§ 57 Shellfish aquaculture licenses 
§ 58 Transfer or renewal of licenses 
§ 59 Application for license; request for survey and plan 
§ 60 Hearing on issuance of license; notice; publication 
§ 61 Marking of territory covered by license; maintenance of markings 
§ 62 Records of licensed areas, licenses granted, transfers and renewals 
§ 63 Exclusive rights of licensees or transferees; trespass on licensed area; treble damages 
§ 64 Annual fee for license 
§ 65 Annual report of shellfish planted, produced and marketed; estimate of growing shellfish; forfeiture for deficiency 
§ 66 Destruction or removal of marks or bounds; double damages 
§ 67 Taking or disturbing shellfish from licensed grounds or beds without consent 
§ 68 Digging, taking or carrying away shellfish from licensed waters, flats or creeks at night 
§ 69 Seed quahaugs, clams or oysters; taking or possession 
§ 70 Taking and sale of scallops; adult and seed scallops; culling 
§ 71 Close season on scallops 
§ 72 Limitation on catch of scallops 
§ 73 Granting modification in respect to close season and number of scallops that may be taken; petition; investigation 
§ 74 Determination of contaminated areas; notice of results 
§ 74A Emergency designation of contaminated shellfish areas; enforcement; notice to local authorities 
§ 75 Shellfish from contaminated areas, permits, purification; shellfish conservation 
§ 76 Construction and operation of shellfish purification plants; powers of commissioner 
§ 77 Cost of operation 
§ 80 Commercial permits and certificates; issuance; transfers; wholesale dealer permit; regulated marine fishery permit; rules and regulations; cancellation; revocation; penalties 
§ 81 Importation of shellfish for consumption; certification; labeling of containers 
§ 82 Source of supply of shellfish; tags or labels; contents; record of markings on tags or labels; inspection 
§ 83 Permit fees; types of permits 
§ 92 Sale of scallops; soaked scallops; scallops not in shell; marking of containers; common carriers 
§ 93 Opening ditches or canals for fisheries for propagation of herring, alewives and other food fish; acquisition of land and waters; regulation and leasing of fisheries 
§ 94 Petition by city and town to control and regulate public fisheries for alewives; regulation and lease of fisheries 
§ 95 Taking fish from fisheries without permission 
§ 96 Impairment of private property rights; contracts; leasing at public auction 
§ 98 Shellfish constables; appointment; powers and duties; notice of appointment 
§ 100A Striped bass; regulations 
§ 100B Taking striped bass; methods; traps 
§ 100C Shad; methods of taking 
§ 100D Eels; methods of taking 
§ 101A Gray seal; protection 
§ 102 Marine plants; regulation of taking 
§ 104 Effect on special statutes relating to fisheries in particular places 
§ 105 Protection of coastal wetlands 
§ 106 Possessing, selling, offering for sale, trading or distributing of shark fins prohibited; exceptions; penalty for violation 

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