(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no nonresident shall take fish from the Lake Erie sport fishing district between the first day of January and the last day of April each year without first obtaining a nonresident Lake Erie sport fishing district permit.

(B) Each applicant for a nonresident Lake Erie sport fishing district permit shall pay an annual fee of ten dollars for each permit. All money derived from the permit shall be deposited into the wildlife fund created in section 1531.17 of the Revised Code and shall be appropriated exclusively for the following purposes:

(1) For the protection, propagation, preservation, and stocking of fish in Lake Erie;

(2) For the securing of more public fishing water access including leasing, purchasing, or otherwise acquiring stream banks, bottoms, and marginal strips, headwaters, and other suitable public fishing grounds in the Lake Erie sport fishing district as authorized under section 1531.06 of the Revised Code;

(3) For the cooperation with other agencies, as provided in section 1501.02 of the Revised Code, to assist in the prevention, control, and management of injurious aquatic invasive species in Lake Erie;

(4) For other practical fish management work in Lake Erie, including biological investigations;

(5) For promoting educational and research activities, other methods of fish propagation and fish culture, and other proper conservation activities in Lake Erie.

(C) The chief of the division of wildlife shall adopt any rules in accordance with section 1531.10 of the Revised Code that the chief considers necessary to implement this section.

Added by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, SB 257, §1, eff. 9/28/2018.