§578.11. Labeling of catfish packaging; possession and exchange of certain catfish prohibited; penalties

           A. No person shall possess, sell, purchase, trade, barter, or exchange or attempt to sell, purchase, trade, or exchange any catfish or catfish product unless such catfish or catfish product is labeled to indicate that the fish is farm-raised or naturally produced (wild). When catfish fillets are possessed for retail sale, labeling as required by this Subsection shall be easily visible.

           B.(1) No person shall possess, sell, purchase, trade, barter, or exchange or attempt to sell, purchase, barter, or exchange any species of fish as catfish or catfish product unless that catfish is within the family of Ictaluridae, Ariidae, or Loricariidae.

           (2) Fish within the family Pangasiidae shall not be possessed, sold, purchased, bartered, traded, or exchanged as catfish or a catfish product.

           C. Violation of this Section shall be a class four violation.

           D. As used in this Section, "farm-raised" means produced using the aquacultural procedure whereby catfish are propagated, maintained, reared, and harvested within artificial reservoirs, tanks, cages, impoundments, or other controlled environments, so as to prevent, at all times, the ingress or egress of animal and plant life from public waters including natural streams or lakes. "Farm-raised" shall not include the production and harvesting of catfish in cages or other enclosures located in natural streams or rivers.

           Acts 1991, No. 514, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1992; Acts 2001, No. 761, §1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001; Acts 2003, No. 1026, §1.