(a) Any employee, authorized by the Department, may board any boat, and inspect equipment, materials or shellfish, or leased subaqueous lands associated with or used in the taking or culture of shellfish for aquaculture purposes.
(b) The Department may seize any shellfish or equipment as evidence which is believed to be in violation of or is being used by a violator of Chapters 19 through 28 of this title or the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto. Seized equipment, at the discretion of the Department, may be released upon the posting of a bond, the value of which shall be determined by the court having jurisdiction over the case.
(c) In the event that any bivalve shellfish are seized as evidence as a result of an investigation or arrest for any violation of the statutes in this chapter or Department regulations governing shellfish aquaculture, these shellfish shall be destroyed and disposed of as deemed appropriate by the Department. The lessee in consultation with the court of record shall determine the fair market value of the shellfish that were seized.
(d) In addition to being subject to the penalties of § 2012 of this title, anyone convicted of illegally removing bivalve shellfish products from a leased aquaculture site shall be assessed the fair market value of the shellfish so seized.
(e) Undamaged equipment that is seized by the Department shall be made available to the rightful owner as expeditiously as possible, provided the rightful owner can be identified with a reasonable amount of effort. If the rightful owner cannot be readily located or does not claim his or her equipment within 30 days of removal or the final disposition the case, this equipment shall be considered abandoned and will be disposed of by Department procedures.
(f) Any shellfish aquaculture equipment that the Department determines is abandoned as defined by Department regulation, which is not claimed by its owner within 30 days after its removal or disposition of the case by the court having jurisdiction, shall be disposed of according to Department procedures for the disposition of abandoned equipment and the funds from the public sale of abandoned equipment shall be deposited into an appropriated special fund account that the Department maintains to partially offset the Department’s costs associated with administering this chapter.
79 Del. Laws, c. 178, § 3; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.
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