(a) For the purpose of this section:
- (1) “Shark” means any species of the subclass Elasmobranchii; it does not include smooth dogfish (smooth hounds), spiny dogfish, or species in the suborder Batoidea;
- (2) “Shark fin” means the raw, dried, or otherwise processed detached fin or the raw, dried, or otherwise processed detached tail of a shark.
- (b) Except as provided in this section, no person shall possess, sell, offer for sale, trade, or distribute a shark fin.
- (c) A person who holds a license or permit to take or land sharks may separate a shark fin from a lawfully landed shark during the ordinary course of preparing the body of the shark for consumption, sale, trade, or distribution; provided, however, that a shark fin so separated from the shark shall be immediately destroyed unless used by the person for the purposes of taxidermy and subsequent display.
- (d) The director of the department of environmental management may issue a permit for the possession of a shark fin to a person conducting noncommercial, scientific research.
- (e) Any shark fin seized by the director of the department of environmental management, or the director’s agents, through the enforcement of this section shall be destroyed.
- (f) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred ($500) dollars, nor more than one thousand ($1,000) dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment; provided, however, that each shark fin possessed, sold, offered for sale, traded, or distributed in violation of this section shall constitute a separate offense. Provided further, a violation of this section by a person holding a commercial or recreational license or permit pursuant to this chapter shall result in the suspension or revocation of such license or permit.
History of Section.
P.L. 2016, ch. 66, § 1; P.L. 2016, ch. 70, § 1.