(a) Certain wildlife. Any person may engage in business as an importer or exporter of the following types of wildlife without obtaining an import/export license:

(1) Shellfish (see §10.12 of this chapter) and nonliving fishery products that do not require a permit under parts 16, 17, or 23 of this subchapter, and are imported or exported for purposes of human or animal consumption or taken in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States or on the high seas for recreational purposes;

(2) Live farm-raised fish and farm-raised fish eggs of species that do not require a permit under parts 16, 17, or 23 of this subchapter, that meet the definition of “bred-in-captivity” as stated in §17.3 of this subchapter and that are for export only; and

(3) Live aquatic invertebrates of the Class Pelecypoda, commonly known as oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops, and their eggs, larvae, or juvenile forms, that do not require a permit under parts 16, 17, or 23 of this subchapter, and are exported only for the purposes of propagation or research related to propagation; and

(4) Pearls that do not require a permit under parts 16, 17, or 23 of this subchapter.

(5)

(i) Except as provided in paragraphs (a)(5)(ii) and (iii) of this section, green sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, including any products of that species, that:

(A) Do not require a permit under part 16, 17, or 23 of this subchapter;

(B) Are taken in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States or are imported into the United States for processing pursuant to the licensing requirements of §14.91; and

(C) Are exported for purposes of human or animal consumption.

(ii) The exemption in paragraph (a)(5)(i) of this section does not apply to any person who has been convicted of one or more violations of a Federal law relating to the importation, transportation, or exportation of wildlife during the previous 5 years.

(iii) The exemption in paragraph (a)(5)(i) of this section does not apply in any State that does not annually provide “conservation and management” data, as defined in section 3 of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1802), to the applicable Marine Fisheries Commission, or, if the State does provide the “conservation and management” data, and the applicable Marine Fisheries Commission determines, in consultation with the primary research agency of such Commission, after notice and an opportunity to comment, that the data fails to prove that the State agency or official is engaged in conservation and management of the green sea urchin.

(b) Certain persons.

(1) The following persons may import or export wildlife without obtaining an import/export license, provided that these persons keep records that will fully and correctly describe each importation or exportation of wildlife made by them and the subsequent disposition made by them with respect to the wildlife.

(i) Public museums, or other public, scientific, or educational institutions, importing or exporting wildlife for noncommercial research or educational purposes; and

(ii) Federal, State, tribal, or municipal agencies.

(2) Subject to applicable limitations of law, duly authorized Service officers at all reasonable times will, upon notice, be given access to these persons' places of business, an opportunity to examine their inventory of imported wildlife or the wildlife to be exported, the records described in paragraph (1) of this section, and an opportunity to copy those records.

[73 FR 74628, Dec. 9, 2008, as amended at 84 FR 29808, June 25, 2019]