| 1 | Representative Kendrick offered the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Amendment (with title amendment) |
| 4 | Between lines 5018 and 5019, insert: |
| 5 | Section 89. Section 370.081, Florida Statutes, is |
| 6 | renumbered as section 379.26, Florida Statutes, and amended to |
| 7 | read: |
| 8 | 379.26 370.081 Illegal importation or possession of |
| 9 | nonindigenous marine plants and animals; rules and |
| 10 | regulations.-- |
| 11 | (1) It is unlawful to import or possess any marine plant |
| 12 | or marine animal, not indigenous to the state, which, due to the |
| 13 | stimulating effect of the waters of the state on procreation, |
| 14 | may endanger or infect the marine resources of the state or pose |
| 15 | a human health hazard, except as provided in this section. |
| 16 | (2) Marine animals not to be imported shall include, but |
| 17 | are not limited to, all species of the following: |
| 18 | (a) Sea snakes (Family Hydrophiidae), except as provided |
| 19 | in subsection (4); |
| 20 | (b) Weeverfishes (Family Trachinidae); and |
| 21 | (c) Stonefishes (Genus Synanceja). |
| 22 | (3) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is |
| 23 | authorized to adopt, pursuant to chapter 120, rules and |
| 24 | regulations to include any additional marine plant or marine |
| 25 | animal which may endanger or infect the marine resources of the |
| 26 | state or pose a human health hazard. |
| 27 | (4) A zoological park and aquarium may import sea snakes |
| 28 | of the family Hydrophiidae for exhibition purposes only under |
| 29 | the following conditions: |
| 30 | (a) Only male sea snakes may be possessed. |
| 31 | (b) A zoological park and aquarium possessing sea snakes |
| 32 | shall not be located in a coastal county and shall have no |
| 33 | contiguous connection with any waters of the state. |
| 34 | (c) Each zoological park and aquarium possessing sea |
| 35 | snakes shall provide quarterly reports to the department |
| 36 | regarding the number of each species of sea snakes on the |
| 37 | premises and any changes in inventory resulting from death or |
| 38 | additions by importation. |
| 39 | (d) Sea snakes shall not be released into the waters of |
| 40 | the state. |
| 41 | (e) Each zoological park and aquarium possessing sea |
| 42 | snakes shall post with the commission a $1 million letter of |
| 43 | credit. The letter of credit shall be in favor of the State of |
| 44 | Florida, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, for use by |
| 45 | the commission to remove any sea snake accidentally or |
| 46 | intentionally introduced into waters of the state. The letter of |
| 47 | credit shall be written in the form determined by the |
| 48 | commission. The letter of credit shall provide that the |
| 49 | zoological park and aquarium is responsible for the sea snakes |
| 50 | within that facility and shall be in effect at all times that |
| 51 | the zoological park and aquarium possesses sea snakes. |
| 52 | (f) A zoological park and aquarium shall not barter, sell, |
| 53 | or trade sea snakes within this state. |
| 54 | (g) A zoological park and aquarium that imports sea snakes |
| 55 | may bring the sea snakes into this state only by airplane that |
| 56 | may only land at an airport located in a noncoastal county |
| 57 | within this state. |
| 58 | (h) A zoological park and aquarium possessing sea snakes |
| 59 | shall abide by all statutory and regulatory requirements of the |
| 60 | Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission with respect to |
| 61 | venomous reptiles. |
| 62 | (5) It is unlawful to release into the waters of the state |
| 63 | any nonindigenous saltwater species whether or not included in |
| 64 | subsection (2) or prohibited by rules and regulations adopted |
| 65 | pursuant to subsection (3) or authorized by subsection (4). |
| 66 | (6) Any person who violates this section commits a Level |
| 67 | Three violation under s. 379.401 372.83. |
| 68 |
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| 69 |
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| 70 |
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| 71 | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| 72 | T I T L E A M E N D M E N T |
| 73 | Remove line 19 and insert: |
| 74 | 370.08, 370.081, 370.11, 370.1107, 370.1121, 370.135, 370.14, |
| 75 |
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