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A.  Each wholesale/retail seafood dealer shall, on or before the tenth of each month, make a return to the department of all commercial receipt forms representing actual transactions from every commercial fisherman during the preceding month.  All commercial receipt forms submitted by a dealer shall be accompanied by a monthly submission sheet signed by the wholesale/retail seafood dealer certifying that the transactions submitted represent all of the transactions by that dealer from commercial fishermen for that particular month.  Additionally, those wholesale/retail seafood dealers who shed soft shell crabs or operate soft shell crab shedding facilities shall, on or before the tenth of each month, submit to the department, on forms specified by the department, information relative to the amount of soft shell crab produced.

B.  The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries shall draft regulations, for approval by the Wildlife and Fisheries Commission and promulgation under the Administrative Procedure Act, prescribing procedures to preserve the confidentiality of any data, information, or statistics submitted or collected pursuant to this Section.  Such regulations shall allow compliance with federal procedures as set forth by the United States Department of Commerce or its agencies for confidentiality of fishing statistics collected from individuals or firms by the Department of Commerce or its agencies.

C.  All fish purchased by wholesale/retail seafood dealers from persons other than licensed wholesaler/retail seafood dealers which are not reported as required herein shall be deemed to have been illegally possessed or purchased by the purchasing wholesale/retail seafood dealer.

D.  No later than January 1, 2001, the department shall have in place the capability to receive through electronic means the commercial receipt form information required to be transmitted to the department by La. Rev. Stat. 56:306.5(B) and Subsection A of this Section.  The department shall promulgate rules to regulate the submission of such commercial receipt form information electronically.  Beginning January 1, 2001, a wholesale/retail seafood dealer may submit such commercial receipt form information electronically.

Acts 1997, No. 376, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 130, §1; Acts 2006, No. 401, §1, eff. Nov. 15, 2006.