P.R. Laws tit. 12, § 261
(a) The possession, acquisition, sale or transfer in Puerto Rico of the fish known as piranha, of the ichthyological group of the Serrasalmus genus, is hereby prohibited.
(b) Any natural or [juridical] person in possession of one or more specimens of said fish shall surrender same to the Secretary of Agriculture for destruction within a term of thirty days from the date of effectiveness of this act. The Secretary of Agriculture shall compensate for each specimen so surrendered to him for destruction, at the price paid therefor, or in default of proof of such price, at the price appraised by an authorized representative of the Secretary. Any specimen of said fish in the possession of any natural or artificial person subsequent to the term above prescribed shall be confiscated and destroyed by any authorized representative of the Secretary of Agriculture without any further requisite or compensation whatsoever.
(c) The Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized to use from the budget of regular expenses of the Department of Agriculture the necessary funds to pay the compensation provided in this section for the piranha surrendered to him for destruction.
(d) Any natural or [juridical] person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars ($50) nor more than two hundred dollars ($200), or by confinement in jail for not less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15) days, or both, in the discretion of the court.
History —June 18, 1965, No. 46, p. 86, §§ 1–4.