Section 27-4-134. Requirements for commercial fishing boat license; penalty for violation

   (a) Upon application for a commercial fishing boat license under Code Section 27-2-8, the owner of such boat, if said boat is to be used for fishing with power-drawn nets in accordance with the provisions of Code Section 27-4-133, must do one of the following:

   (1) Post a cash forfeiture bond in the form prescribed by the board in favor of the State of Georgia in the amount of $5,000.00, conditioned upon faithful compliance with Code Section 27-4-133;

   (2) File with the commissioner a forfeiture bond in the form prescribed by the board executed by a bonding, surety, or insurance company licensed to do business in this state in favor of the state in the amount of $5,000.00, conditioned upon faithful compliance with Code Section 27-4-133; or

   (3) File with the commissioner an affidavit in the form prescribed by the board stating that the affiant is a resident of the State of Georgia, that he is the sole owner of the boat to be licensed, and that the boat is free from all encumbrances, including but not limited to liens, mortgages, and other evidences of security interests. The department may require proof of residence or ownership or proof of residence and ownership. The affidavit shall acknowledge that the boat sought to be licensed will be subject to Code Section 27-4-137. The affidavit shall be filed by the department in the office of the clerk of the superior court as follows: when the owner is an individual, then in the county where he resides; when the owner is a partnership, corporation, or business entity other than an individual, then in the county of the owner's principal place of business. The affidavit shall be filed by the clerk like other security interests on boats; provided, however, that the filing of such affidavit shall not be permissible where the boat is documented under the laws of the United States.

(b) The term of the bond provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section shall be for one year and shall correspond to the period of the license. When such a bond has been filed, Code Section 27-4-137 shall not apply to the boat covered by the bond. The commissioner shall have the right to recover on the bond for the breach of its conditions whenever said boat is used in violation of Code Section 27-4-133 or any rule or regulation promulgated pursuant thereto, either with or without the knowledge, consent, or acquiescence of the owner of the boat. The recovery shall be:

   (1) For the first violation, $1,000.00; and

   (2) For each subsequent violation within the period of any license, $4,000.00.

(c) Every breach or violation shall carry over to all succeeding bonds filed under this Code section. The aggregate liability shall not exceed the amount of the bond. However, in the event that the total amount of any bond is forfeited, the commercial fishing boat license shall be suspended until a new bond in the amount of $10,000.00 is filed covering the remainder of the period of the license. Until the new bond is filed, any commercial use of the boat shall be unlawful; and the owner shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed so as to alter or affect the seizure and condemnation, under Code Section 27-4-137, of any boat not covered by the bonds provided for in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) of this Code section.

Ga. L. 1974, p. 1173, § 1; Ga. L. 1975, p. 428, § 2; Code 1933, § 45-905, enacted by Ga. L. 1977, p. 396, § 1; Ga. L. 1978, p. 1552, §§ 4, 5; Ga. L. 1991, p. 1012, § 2.