Union River




1823 -- An Act making further provision for the preservation of Fish in Union River Bay, and its waters. Laws of the State of Maine. Chapter CCXIII.

Text of Act:

"Sect. 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in Legislature assembled, That if any person shall make or continue any dam or other obstruction, in or across Union River, in the County of Hancock, or any stream or pond emptying into the same, or into any part of Union River bay, northerly of the southerly extremes of Newbury-neck and Oak-point, through or into which salmon, shad or alewives have ever been accustomed to pass, for the purpose of casting their spawn, without providing and keeping constantly open and clear, a sufficient passage or sluice way for such salmon, shad and alewives to pass and repass, from the first day of June to the thirty first day of July annually, every such person shall forfeit and pay a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars, nor less than fifty dollars. And any person who shall, at any time, take any of the said fish, within forty feet of any such dam or other obstruction, passage or sluice way, shall forfeit and pay a fine of five dollars for each offence.

"Sect. 2. Be it further enacted, That any person who shall take any salmon, shad or alewives in any of the waters aforesaid, between the tenth of June and thirty-first of July annually, at any other time than between sunrise on Monday and sunrise on Thursday, in each week, shall forfeit and pay for each salmon so taken, two dollars; for each shad one dollar; and for each alewive twenty cents.

"Sect. 3. Be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the towns of Ellsworth and Surry, to prescribe the mode, manner and right of taking the fish aforesaid, in their respective towns, within the times aforementioned, and to make such rules, regulations and by laws respecting the same, not repugnant to the laws of this State, as to them may seem necessary for the purposes aforesaid.

"Sect. 4. Be it further enacted, That all Acts or parts of Acts, either of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, or of this State, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, be, and they are hereby repealed.

This Act passed February 10, 1823."


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