(a) It shall be unlawful for any person who places, uses or sets a conch pot in the tidal waters of this State to fail to tend and remove conchs from said conch pot at least once every 72 hours.
(b) Failure to tend and remove conchs from a conch pot in the tidal waters of this State at least 72 hours after said pot is tagged by the Department shall constitute abandonment of said conch pot.
(c) Any employee of the Department authorized to enforce this chapter shall be authorized to seize and confiscate any conch pot which has been determined to have been abandoned pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.
(d) Upon a determination that a conch pot has been abandoned and seized by the Department, ownership in said conch pot shall be forfeited to the Department.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions set forth in subsections (a), (b) and (c) of this section, any employee of the Department authorized to enforce this chapter shall be authorized to seize any conch pot which fails to be placed, used or set in compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
(f) Title to a conch pot seized by the Department and not claimed by the lawful owner after proper notification from the Department within 90 days of said notification shall be forfeited to the Department.