Division of Fish and Wildlife Department of Planning and Natural Resources Government of the Virgin Islands |
The following is a digitized copy of the Endangered and Indigenous Species Act. The Division of Fish and Wildlife is not responsible for any typographic errors. This is not an "Official" document.
================================================== Endangered and
Indigenous Species Act of 1990 Title 12,
Virgin Islands Code Chapter 2,
Protection of Indigenous, Endangered and Threatened Fish, Wildlife and Plants. Section
101. Purpose The purpose
of this Chapter is to protect, conserve, and manage indigenous fish, wildlife
and plants, and endangered or threatened species for the ultimate benefit of
all Virgin Islanders, now and in the future. Section
102. Definitions For the
purpose of this Chapter and unless the context otherwise requires: (a)
"Animal
life" means any member of any non-domesticated species of the animal
kingdom, whether reared in captivity or not, and includes all species occurring
within the jurisdiction of the United States Virgin Islands, whether mammal,
fish, bird, amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod, coelenterate or
other invertebrate, and includes any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof,
or the carcass or parts thereof. (b)
"Aquarium
fish" means any species of freshwater or marine life including, in
addition to vertebrates and invertebrates, all species of freshwater and marine
plant life, and all corals, whether living or dead, captured or taken for the
purposes of display. (c)
³Commission²
means the Endangered Species Preservation Commission as created by section 103 of
this chapter. (d)
"Commissioner"
means the Commissioner of Planning and Natural Resources. (e)
"Endangered
species" means any species of animal life or plants which have been listed
by the Federal or Territorial governments as "endangered". (f)
"Exotic
species" means any foreign or introduced species. (g)
³Feral
species" means domestic animals, which have reverted to a wild state. The
only birds, which might be included in this definition are poultry. (h)
³Fish or
wildlife² means any member of the animal kingdom, including without limitation,
any mammal, fish, bird (including any migratory, nonmigratory, or endangered
bird for which protection is also afforded by treaty or other international
agreement), amphibian, reptile, mollusk, crustacean, arthropod or other invertebrate,
and includes any part, product, egg, or offspring thereof, or the dead body or
parts thereof. (i)
"Indigenous
species" means any species of animal life, including migratory animals
arriving in the Virgin Islands as part of their normal migration but does not
include certain vermin or feral species. The definition also includes all
plants occurring and living naturally in the Virgin Islands. (j)
"Live
rock" means any piece of coral (dead or alive), substrate or other
material to which is attached, or which supports, any marine life form of any
kind whatsoever. (k)
"Mangrove"
means any of three species of woody plants known as "red mangrove" Rhizophora
mangle, "black mangrove" Avicennia germinans,
and "white mangrove" Laguncularia racemosa. (l)
"Plant"
means any freshwater, marine or terrestrial plant and alga, including seeds,
roots, and other parts thereof. (m)
"Threatened
species" means any species of animal life or plants which have been listed
by the Federal or Territorial governments as "threatened". (n)
"Vermin"
means certain species of animal life inherently destructive to homes, livestock
or crops, and. which may be capable of carrying diseases harmful to man. For
the purpose of this Chapter, these species are: house mouse (Mus musculus),
mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus), Norway rat (Rattus norvegieus),
pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops fuscatus), roof (black) rat (Rattus
rattus) Section
103. Endangered Species Preservation Commission (a)
There is
hereby created within the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, an Endangered
Species Preservation Commission which shall be composed of the Commissioner of
Planning and Natural resources, who shall be a non-voting member, ex officio,
and seven other members, five of which shall consist of: (1)
The
Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife, (2)
The Chief
of the Bureau of Environmental Education, (3)
The Chief
of the Bureau of Fisheries, (4)
The Chief
of the Bureau of Wildlife, (5)
The Chief
of Environmental Enforcement of the Department of Planning and Natural
Resources. (b)
The other
two members of the Commission shall be appointed by the Governor with the
advice and consent of the Senate.
One shall be a resident of St. Croix and one shall be a resident of the
St. Thomas-St. John district. The
two appointed members shall possess training and education in either botany,
zoology or biology. (c)
The
Commission shall elect a Chairman from among its members. Four voting members of the Commission
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business of the
Commission. A majority of those voting
members present shall decide all matters before the commission. The Commission may adopt such other
rules as it deems necessary to conduct its business. (d)
Appointed
members of the Commission shall serve a term of two years and may be
reappointed. Upon the conclusion
of the term of any appointed member of the Commission, such person shall
continue to serve until a new member has been appointed. The appointed members of the
Commission shall receive the sum of $50 for each day or part thereof spent in the
performance of their duties. Every
member of the Commission shall be reimbursed for necessary travel, subsistence
and other expenses actually incurred in the discharge of his duties as a member
of the Commission. Appointed
members of the Commission may be removed by the Governor for cause. Section
104. Powers and Duties of the Commission (a)
In addition
to all powers and duties specifically assigned the Commission by this chapter,
the Commission shall have the primary responsibility for identification and
preservation of threatened and endangered species in the Territory. In addition, the Commission shall have
oversight for the implementation of the provisions of this chapter and the
provisions of the ³Endangered Species Act of 1973². Pub. L. 98-205, Dec 28, 1978, 81 Stat 884, and amendments
thereto, codified in 16 U.S.C. section 1531 et seq., which are hereby adopted
and made applicable to the Commission and the Department of Planning and
Natural Resources. (b)
The
Commission is charged with the responsibility for the conservation and
protection of endangered or threatened species of animals and plants within the
territory of the United States Virgin Islands. In order to carry out this mandate, the Commission shall
determine whether any species as defined in section 102 hereof, is an
endangered species, or threatened species because of any of the following
factors: (A)
The present
of threatened destruction, modification, or curtailment of its habitat or
range; (B) Commercial activity or overutilization
for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; (C) Disease or predation; (D)
The
inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or (E) Other natural or manmade factors
affecting its continued existence. (c)
The
Commission shall, from time to time, by regulation, list such species as it
determines are endangered or threatened as defined in section 102 hereof. In making such determination, the
Commission shall, consistent with federal rules and regulation pertaining to
conservation of threatened and endangered species, further determine which
species shall be changed in status from a threatened species to an endangered
species. (d)
The
Commission shall make determinations required by this section solely on the
basis of the best scientific and commercial data available to it after
conducting a review of the status of the species and after taking into account
these efforts, if any, being made by any state or foreign country, or any
political subdivision thereof, to protect such species, whether by predator
control, protection of habitat and food supply, or other conservation
practices, within any area under its jurisdiction, or on the high seas. (e)
In addition
to the powers and duties set forth in subsections (a) through (d) of this
section, the Commission shall: (1) Promulgate rules and regulations
necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter; provided, however, that
no such rules or regulations shall be promulgated unless public hearings are
held by the commission after appropriate notice. Any rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this
chapter may be modified, amended or revised by the Legislature in accordance
with the provisions of subsection (b) section 913 Title 8 of this code. (2) Prepare and submit to the Legislature of
the United States Virgin Islands, for adoption, any additional plans and
undertake any studies it deems necessary and appropriate to better accomplish
the purposes, goals and policies of this chapter; and (3) Evaluate progress being made towards the
implementation of the provisions of this chapter and submit a report to the
Governor and Legislature on an annual basis. Section
105. Prohibited activities (a)
No person
may take, catch, possess. injure, harass, kill or attempt to take, catch,
possess, injure, harass, or kill, or sell or offer for sale, or transport or
export, whether or not for sale, any indigenous species, including live rock;
except that persons holding valid fishing or hunting licenses, scientific or
aquarium collecting permits, or indigenous species retention permits, may
operate within the scope and under the terms and conditions expressed in those
licenses and permits. (b)
No person
may take, catch, or possess, or attempt to take, catch or possess, any specimen
of an endangered or threatened species unless such persons holds a valid
collecting permit from the Federal Government in the case of Federally listed
species, or a Territorial permit in the case of an exclusively territorially
listed species. (c)
No person
may ship, transport, or export any specimen of an endangered or threatened
species, or parts or produce thereof, whether for sale or not, unless such
person holds a valid Federal permit in the case of a Federally listed species,
or a valid Territorial permit in the case of an exclusively territorial listed
species. (d)
It shall be
unlawful for any person to import or introduce, or cause the importation or
introduction to the Virgin Islands of any species of plant or animal, which
does not naturally occur in the Territory without the express written
permission of the Commissioner. (e)
No person
may harass, injure or kill, or attempt to do the same, or sell or offer for
sale any specimen, or parts or produce of such specimen, of an endangered or
threatened species. (f)
No person
may prune, cut, remove, or otherwise disturb any growth of mangroves, whether
on private land or not, unless a permit for such pruning, cutting or removal
has been obtained in advance from the Commissioner, and the person is acting
within the scope of that permit (g)
No person
may disturb, damage or remove the nest, or contents of any nest of any
indigenous, endangered species.
The nests of all seabirds come within the protection of this subsection. (h)
No person
may operate a helicopter or fixed wing aircraft over a sea bird rookery on an
off lying island or cay at an altitude of less than one thousand (1,000) feet,
or approach such island or cay closer than 1/2 mile, except for regularly
scheduled commercial flights which, when in a landing pattern approach the
Cyril E. King Airport must, for safety reasons, go over Little Saba and Flat
Cay, St. Thomas United States Virgin Islands, at an altitude of less than one
thousand (1,000) feet. A concerted
flight by seabirds in conjunction with an over flight shall be deemed prima
facie evidence of a violation of this subsection. (i)
Nothing in
this section shall prevent any duly authorized agent or employee of the Federal
or Territorial governments, or person acting under such an agent or employees
direct supervision, from performing any and all necessary activities within the
scope of that agentıs or employees official duties. Section
106. Permits and Licenses
(1)
Hunting and
Fishing
(1)
No hunting
license shall be issued except in accordance with Title 12, Section 11, Virgin
Islands Code.
(2)
No
commercial fishing license shall be issued except in accordance with Title 12,
chapter 9A, Virgin Islands Code.
(2)
Scientists
and collectors
(1)
In addition
to the collection permits authorized under title 12 section 14, Virgin Islands
Code, the Commissioner may issue species permits to: (A)
Collectors
for recognized museums, educational institutions, and scientific research
organizations; (B)
Persons
engaged in bona fide scientific research in connection with such organizations;
and (C)
Persons
engaged in approved recovery and propagation activities.
(2)
Such
permits shall be limited to a specific number of specimens of the desired
species.
(3)
Such
permits may only be issued for scientific or educational purposes, or to
enhance the recovery or propagation of that species.
(4)
Such
permits shall be issued free of charge. Specimens collected may not be sold or
exchanged for anything of value. A
separate transit permit, as described in subsection (d) of this section, shall
be required before such specimens may be removed from the Territory. (c)
Aquarium Collectors
(1)
The
commissioner may issue permits to aquarists, collectors, and other persons
desiring to collect specimens of marine life forms, including live rock,
whether or not for sale, and whether or not intended for shipment or
export. There are three
categories: (A)
A private
aquarist collecting, not for sale but for a personal aquarium of not ore than
fifty (50) gallons capacity; (B)
A person
maintaining an aquarium of any size for a commercial purpose; and (C)
A collector
for shipment, export and sale.
(2)
Such permit
in all cases must specify the methods of collection to be employed, the place
or places where such collection activities will be conducted, any restriction
on the number of such species or numbers of specimens to be taken, any specific
requirements for the safe handling and storage of the specimens and reports to
be filed.
(3)
Permits
issued under subparagraphs (1)B and (1)C above shall contain a schedule of fees
based on a percentage of the wholesale market value of the species for which
the permit is issued. The fee
shall not be less than ten (10) percent of the established wholesale price of
that species in Miami, Florida.
Such fees shall be payable in advance and are non-refundable. (d)
Transit
Permits (1)
Any person
desiring to ship or transport any live indigenous species from the territory
shall first obtain a transit permit from the Commissioner. (2)
Such a
permit shall specify: (A)
The Species
involved; (B)
The number
of specimens of each species; (C)
Any special
shipping restrictions; (D)
The name
and address of consigner and consignee; and (E)
Evidence
that all the necessary fees have been paid. (e) Mangrove
Permits. (1)
The policy
of the Territory is to prevent a net loss of wetlands to the maximum extent
possible. (2)
The
Commissioner may issue permits, on a case by case basis, for the pruning,
cutting or removal of mangrove trees by species and area, in accordance with
Title 12, Chapter 21, Virgin Islands Code. (f)
Indigenous species Retention Permits The
Commissioner is authorized to issue permits to persons in possession of
indigenous species, allowing them to retain such species for the treatment of
injury or disease, propagation, or any other purpose consistent with the
preservation, protection, conservation and enhancement of such indigenous
species. Section
107. Penalties Any person
violating any provision of this chapter shall, upon conviction thereof, be
subject to a fine of not less than $100, and not more than $10,000. Such person
may also be sentenced to serve a term in jail of not more than sixty (60) days.
For the purpose of assessing the penalty, each specimen or an indigenous
species, endangered or threatened animal or plant, or mangrove shall be
considered a separate offence. |
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