2019 Tennessee Code
Title 70 - Wildlife Resources
Chapter 2 - Licenses and Permits
Part 2 - Miscellaneous Licenses and Permits
§ 70-2-221. Fish dealers license -- Requirements -- Fees -- Penalties. [See the Compiler's Notes.]
(a) Any person, firm or corporation, before engaging in the businesses described in this section, must purchase a fish dealer's license:
(1)
(A) A “bait dealer” engages in the business of capturing legal species of fish or other aquatic life for the purpose of sale or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life for bait;
(B) Each bait dealer shall make a monthly report to the executive director on forms provided as to the number of minnows sold and shall indicate the source of supply of such minnows; provided, that the executive director may, in the executive director's discretion, require only those monthly reports that the executive director may deem necessary; and
(C) The wildlife resources agency is empowered to inspect any shipment of live minnows, and if found diseased, may cause the shipment to be destroyed without being liable for damage for such destruction;
(2) “Catch-out operation” is the business of making legal species of fish placed in a pond, tank, or other constructed container available to persons wishing to procure them by purchase;
(3)
(A) “Fish farming” is the business of rearing for sale legal species of fish and other aquatic life or the selling of legal species of fish and other aquatic life reared in private facilities; and
(B) Fish used in the catch-out business must be reared fish or must be wild commercial fish species obtained legally by commercial fishers, and must be approved by the agency. Fish to be purchased may be caught by persons using legal fishing methods without the requirement of a fishing license.
(b) These businesses shall be operated under rules and regulations promulgated by the wildlife resources agency.
(c) The fee for a resident license shall be twenty dollars ($20.00); the fee for a nonresident license shall be two hundred fifty dollars ($250). The license will expire on the last day of February each year.
(d) Each license issued shall cover all operations of a single business conducted within the exterior boundaries of the same tract of land owned or leased by the person, firm or corporation.
(e) Any person, firm or corporation violating this section commits a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than fifty dollars ($50.00).
