2006 Louisiana Laws - RS 3:2356 — Shipment of catfish to be used for stocking purposes into the state; inspection; fees; penalties

§2356.  Shipment of catfish to be used for stocking purposes into the state; inspection; fees; penalties

A.  No person, firm, or corporation shall move, ship, or transport into this state any catfish to be used for stocking purposes, of any species, whether farm raised or caught in the waters from any other state, except as provided in this Section.

B.  Catfish to be used for stocking purposes may be shipped into this state by a person, firm, or corporation possessing all necessary wholesale licenses, but only when accompanied by certification of inspection issued by the state or country of origin.  The certificate shall certify the apparent freedom of the catfish to be used for stocking purposes from contagious or infectious diseases and shall be based upon an actual inspection of the catfish to be used for stocking purposes to be shipped or moved within a period of forty-eight hours preceding the date of shipment.

C.  Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsection B, the commissioner of agriculture may inspect any catfish to be used for stocking purposes being shipped into this state, even if the catfish to be used for stocking purposes are accompanied by a certificate of inspection issued by another state or country, unless the facility receiving the catfish to be used for stocking purposes is inspected or the catfish to be used for stocking purposes on hand in such facility is inspected by the state and/or federal food and drug administration.  If an inspection of catfish to be used for stocking purposes accompanied by a certificate of inspection of another state or country reveals contagious or infectious disease, the commissioner may declare a moratorium on this state's recognition of any certificate of inspection issued by that state or country until the commissioner determines that the standards of that state or country are adequate to insure the health and safety of catfish to be used for stocking purposes in that state or country at least equal to the standards established by this state.

D.  Except as otherwise permitted in this Section, the movement or shipment of catfish to be used for stocking purposes into this state shall be prohibited.

E.  In cases where the commissioner inspects catfish to be used for stocking purposes pursuant to this Section, he may by rule impose an inspection fee, provided that the fee schedule is uniform as to all similar inspections and the funds are used to defray the cost of inspections.

F.  Any person, firm, or corporation who violates this Section shall be fined not more than two hundred dollars or imprisoned for not more than sixty days, or both.

Acts 1985, No. 729, §1.