Any person who shall engage in the breeding, hatching, propagation, or raising of aquatic life, whether indigenous or non-indigenous to this State, shall first procure a permit from the Department to do so. Aquatic life specified, which is bred, hatched, propagated or raised by a person holding a permit as provided for in this Section, may be transported and sold for food or stocking purposes. Permittees who sell aquatic life propagated or raised under this permit are exempt from possessing a fish or minnow dealers license. Aquaculture permit holders shall maintain records of all aquatic life bought, sold or shipped. These records shall include the name and address of the buyer and seller, the appropriate license or permit number of the buyer and seller, the date of the transaction, and th
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Any person who shall engage in the breeding, hatching, propagation, or raising of aquatic life, whether indigenous or non-indigenous to this State, shall first procure a permit from the Department to do so. Aquatic life specified, which is bred, hatched, propagated or raised by a person holding a permit as provided for in this Section, may be transported and sold for food or stocking purposes. Permittees who sell aquatic life propagated or raised under this permit are exempt from possessing a fish or minnow dealers license. Aquaculture permit holders shall maintain records of all aquatic life bought, sold or shipped. These records shall include the name and address of the buyer and seller, the appropriate license or permit number of the buyer and seller, the date of the transaction, and the species, poundage, and origin of aquatic life involved. The records shall be kept for a minimum of 2 years from the date of the transaction and shall be made immediately available to authorized employees of the Department upon request. Records of the annual operations, as may be required by the Department, shall be forwarded to the Department upon request. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to give permittees authority to take aquatic life in their wild or natural state, contrary to other provisions of this Code, or to remove the permittee from responsibility for the observance of any federal, State, or local laws, rules, or regulations that may apply to the aquatic life. Aquaculture permit holders may harvest aquatic life on licensed aquaculture facilities with commercial fishing devices without obtaining any license for these devices. Before any person imports or receives live, non-indigenous aquatic life for aquaculture or stocking purposes in this State, permission must be obtained from the Department. Regulations governing non-indigenous aquatic life shall be covered by administrative rule. The annual fee for a permit under this Section shall be $50 and the permit shall expire on March 31 of each year. Any person who violates any provisions of this Section, including administrative rules relating to this Section, shall be guilty of a business offense and fined not less than $1,000 and no more than $5,000. Permitted aquaculture facilities are exempt from size, catch, and possession limits and seasons on aquatic life when harvested, sold, or transported, except when taken by sport fishing devices. All permits issued under this Section are valid only in the location described and designated in the application for such permit.