Amended by State Law 7-1.
Section 11.1102. Sea Cucumbers.
The Director of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and the Development Review Commission have the power and
duty to preserve and develop sea cucumber resources for maximum economic and
ecological benefit.
(1) No person may commercially harvest, commercially process, or commercially export sea cucumbers without having a valid permit issued by the Development Review Commission.
(3) In consultation with the Director of the Department of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries, the Development Review Commission shall adopt necessary regulations to provide for the protection and sustainable commercial harvesting, commercial processing, and commercial exportation of sea cucumbers in accordance with this section. These regulations shall provide for:
(a) the number, time, species, place and method of sea cucumber harvesting by a permit system to assure responsible and environmentally sound harvesting;
(b) minimum and maximum size or other limitation in harvesting;
(c) requiring permit holders to receive training in sea cucumber species identification;
(d) minimizing environmental impacts caused by commercial processing of sea cucumbers;
(e) reporting requirements for persons commercially processing or commercially exporting sea cucumbers; and
(f) the absolute ban of the commercial harvesting, commercial processing, and/or commercial exportation of any species of sea cucumber that has been determined by the Director of the Department of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries to require such protection.
(4) The Director of the Department of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries shall monitor sea cucumber populations to determine whether the commercial harvesting, commercial processing, or commercial exportation of sea cucumbers is within sustainable levels.
(5) Prior to issuing a permit, the Development Review Commission shall receive and consider advice from the Director of the Department of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries.
(6) For purposes of this section, the phrase "sustainable commercial harvesting, commercial processing, and commercial exportation" means undertaking these activities by methods, and at levels, that allow the sea cucumber population to replenish itself perpetually, and does not significantly alter or degrade their functions within the island ecosystem.