(a) General rule.--No person shall purchase, sell, barter, trade or offer for sale any species of fish taken from waters wholly within this Commonwealth or illegally taken from waters outside this Commonwealth and received in interstate commerce except those species of fish which the commission determines may be sold or offered for sale. No person shall purchase, sell, barter, trade or offer for sale any species of reptiles or amphibians taken from lands or waters wholly within this Commonwealth or illegally taken from lands or waters outside this Commonwealth and received in interstate commerce except those species of reptiles and amphibians which the commission determines may be sold or offered for sale.

(b) Reports of sales of fish.--A person engaged in catching fish for market or whose business may involve the sale of fish shall, on demand of the executive director, furnish at the close of each calendar year a duplicate report of his sales of fish and the gross amount of money realized. The contents of the report shall be used by the commission entirely for statistical purposes and are not public records. Individual reports shall not be made public without the written consent of the owner.

(c) Exceptions.--This section does not prohibit the sale, purchase, offer for sale, trade or barter of any fish propagated by or from a propagator or dealer of live aquatic animals registered under 3 Pa.C.S. Ch. 42 (relating to aquacultural development), provided that such fish are a species approved for propagation in Pennsylvania and are lawfully propagated or acquired by means other than fishing from the waters of this Commonwealth in accordance with the requirements of applicable laws and regulations. This section does not prohibit the sale, purchase, offer for sale, trade or barter of any fish by or from the holder of a commercial fishing license issued under Chapter 29 (relating to special licenses and permits), provided that such fish are lawfully caught or taken in accordance with the requirements of applicable laws and regulations. This section does not prohibit the sale of mounted fish.

(d) Penalty for sale of fish, reptiles or amphibians.--Any person who violates subsection (a) by purchasing, selling, bartering, trading or offering for sale any species of fish, reptiles or amphibians with a market value or sale price in excess of $5,000 commits a misdemeanor of the second degree. Any violation of subsection (a) where the market value or sale price is greater than $250 but less than $5,000 is a misdemeanor of the third degree. Any violation of subsection (a) where the market value or sale price is less than $250 is a summary offense of the first degree.

(e) Applicability.--This section shall not apply to hobby breeders as defined in 3 Pa.C.S. Ch. 42. This section shall not apply to the purely retail sale or offer for sale of fish by pet shops or dealers regularly engaged in retail transactions, provided that such fish are not taken from lands or waters within this Commonwealth or illegally taken from lands or waters outside this Commonwealth.

(Nov. 3, 1999, P.L.447, No.41, eff. Jan. 1, 2000)

1999 Amendment. Act 41 added section 2507.