(a) A person may not acquire aquatic plants or shellfish from wild stock in the state for the purpose of supplying stock to an aquatic farm or hatchery required to have a permit under AS 16.40.100 unless the person holds an acquisition permit from the commissioner.
(b) An acquisition permit authorizes the permit holder to acquire the species and quantities of wild stock in the state specified in the permit for the purposes of supplying stock to
(1) an aquatic farm or hatchery required to have a permit under AS 16.40.100;
(2) the department.
(c) The commissioner shall specify the expiration date of an acquisition permit and may attach conditions to an acquisition permit, including conditions relating to the time, place, and manner of harvest. Size, gear, place, time, licensing, and other limitations applicable to sport, commercial, or subsistence harvest of aquatic plants and shellfish do not apply to a harvest with a permit issued under this section. The commissioner of fish and game shall issue or deny a permit within 30 days after receiving an application.
(d) The commissioner shall deny or restrict a permit under this section upon finding that the proposed harvest will impair sustained yield of the species or will unreasonably disrupt established uses of the resources by commercial, sport, personal use, or subsistence users. The commissioner shall inform the Board of Fisheries of any action taken on permit applications for species that support commercial fisheries subject to limited entry under AS 16.43 and of any permits denied because of unreasonable disruption of an established use. A denial of the permit by the commissioner must contain the factual basis for the findings.
(e) The Board of Fisheries may adopt regulations for the conservation, maintenance, and management of species for which an acquisition permit is required.
(f) Except as provided in (d) of this section or in a regulation adopted under (e) of this section, the commissioner shall issue a permit if
(1) wild stock is necessary to meet the initial needs of farm or hatchery stock;
(2) there are technological limitations on the propagation of culture stock for the species sought;
(3) wild stock sought is not fully utilized by commercial, sport, personal use, or subsistence fisheries; or
(4) wild stock is needed to maintain the gene pool of a hatchery or aquatic farm.
(g) Aquatic plants and shellfish acquired under a permit issued under this section become the property of the permit holder and are no longer a public or common resource.