2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWELVE - Conservation (§§ 1-16 — 8162) › Subtitle 1 - Protection of Game and Fish (§§ 1-16 — 107u) › Chapter 2 - Promotion and Development of Sports and Recreational Fishing (§§ 17 — 24) › § 18 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms shall have the meaning indicated below:
(a) Aquaculture.— Shall mean the activity of cultivating live aquatic or marine organisms in fresh water, brackish or marine controlled or semi-controlled environments, using scientific methods and techniques.
(b) Aquaculturist.— Shall mean the person devoted to produce fish in nurseries for seeding.
(c) Agent of public law and order.— Shall mean all personnel in charge of watching over the public safety, whether state or municipal police, forest or natural resources rangers, abordaje officer of the Commonwealth or a Customs Agent.
(d) Aquatic environment.— Shall mean every lake natural or artificial basin, river, estuary, lagoon, pond, stream or other fresh water body in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, whether public or private.
(e) Marine environment.— Shall mean all beaches, seas or oceans that are within the territorial limits of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(f) Fishing gear.— Any item used for fishing in general.
(g) Department.— Shall mean the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(h) Fishing guide.— Shall mean trained personnel to whom licenses or permits shall be issued to advice the citizenry and tourists on the adequate use of facilities, the protection and conservation of water resources. Said personnel shall comply with the additional function of advising on the control of practices that are detrimental to lakes, the use of boats with inappropriate motors, the deforestation of river banks, monitoring and seeding of fish and the control of water vegetation. As part of orienting the public, these personnel shall also promote broad program of clinics on techniques and methods for fishing in lakes, the existing laws and regulations and access maps with specific directions on how to reach the lakes. It shall also offer information on the different species of fish available in the different lakes and the safety measures that must be observed while fishing.
(i) License.— Shall mean the permit to engage in sports and recreational fishing.
(j) Aquatic organism.— Shall mean fish, plants, mollusks, crustaceans and fresh water mammals.
(k) Marine organisms.— Shall mean fish, plants, mollusks, crustaceans and salt-water mammals.
(l) Semiaquatic organisms.— Shall mean any species that depends on aquatic or marine environments in one or several phases of its development and life.
(m) Person.— Shall mean every natural or juridical person, including the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(n) Fishing.— Shall mean the product of the fishing activity.
(o) Recreational or sports fishing.— Shall mean the product of fishing as defined in this section.
(p) Sports or recreational fisherman.— Shall mean the person devoted to nonprofit fishing and as defined in this section.
(q) Commercial fishing.— Shall mean the catching of aquatic life for sale be it using a hook and line or by massive means. This activity includes the fishing of fish, edible seafood and the catching live organisms for sale to aquariums, pet shops, distributors and exporters.
(r) Secretary.— Shall mean the Secretary of Natural and Environmental Resources of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
(s) Secretary of Sports and Recreation.— Refers to the Secretary of the Sports and Recreation Department.
(t) Season.— Means the period of time during which fish caught without a risk of extinguishing the offer thereof, as established by the Secretary.
(u) Prohibition.— Shall mean the ban to fish one or several specie or species of fish as provided by the Secretary.
History —Sept. 6, 1997, No. 115, § 3.