AN ACT TO AMEND SEVERAL SECTIONS OF ACT NUMBERED TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED AND NINETY, ENTITLED "AN ACT FOR THE PROTECTION OF GAME AND FISH."

• Number: Act No. 3730
• Sections: 9

Section 1

SECTION 1. Section two of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 2. The term 'protected bird' includes insect-eating birds, song birds, and generally all wild birds: Provided, however, That eagles, hawks, crows, house sparrows, herons, galancian and mayas may be destroyed by property owners whenever they become injurious to their property; but the game birds contemplated in the next succeeding section shall be deemed to be 'protected' within the meaning of this Act, only during the continuance of the respective close seasons established for them.

"Fish, shellfish, and mammals shall be deemed to be 'protected' within the meaning of this Act, only during the continuance of the respective close seasons established for them."

Section 2

SEC. 2. Section seven of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 7. It shall be unlawful at all times for any person, to purchase, offer, or expose for sale, alive or dead, any protected bird or mammal, or to sell or have in possession for sale any part of either, except that a permit may be granted by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources to any person of good repute of the age of fifteen years or upward permitting the holder thereof to collect specimens of protected animal life, or the nests or eggs of protected birds, for propagating or scientific purposes only. Such a permit shall remain in force for a period of one year only from the date of issue and shall not be transferable.

"Upon proof that the holder of such a permit has taken or killed any protected creature or taken the nest or eggs of any protected bird for other than propagating or scientific purpose, he shall be subject to the same penalty as if he had no permit."

Section 3

SEC. 3. Section eight of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 8. It shall be unlawful for any person to hunt with a firearm or an air gun or to use a firearm or an air gun as a weapon against game of any sort without having previously procured an appropriate hunting license, the fee for which shall be, in the case of a resident of the Philippine Islands, of an officer or enlisted man of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps, Philippine Scouts and Philippine Constabulary, two pesos and in the case of nonresident, twenty pesos."

Section 4

SEC. 4. Section ten of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 10. Members of the Philippine Constabulary and members of the municipal and township police, foresters, rangers, forest guards of the Bureau of Forestry, Land Inspectors, Surveyors of the Bureau of Lands, Agricultural extension agents, plant inspectors of the Bureau of Plant Industry and such other persons as may be designated in writing by the Secretary of Agriculture and Natural Resources, are hereby made deputy game wardens with full authority to enforce the provisions of this Act and to arrest offenders against it."

Section 5

SEC. 5. Section thirteen of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 13. Except as provided in this Act, it shall be unlawful to hunt, kill, or capture any 'protected' bird or mammal by means of artificial light, swivel gun, or by means of a shotgun larger than number ten gauge or any gun other than that which can be fired from the shoulder, or by means of airplanes of any sort, or to shoot, kill or capture, any wild duck from any boat or floating device under motion, or by means of nets in case of small birds and small games.

"The possession of a lantern for hunting at night shall be prima facie evidence of having acquired it with the intention of using same to catch, kill, or hunt birds, mammals or game animals protected by this Act, at night."

Section 6

SEC. 6. Section fourteen of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 14. Wild pigs may be taken or killed in any manner at any season of the year; and nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit the keeping of any bird for a domestic pet or to prevent the taking of edible birds' nests under license duly issued."

Section 7

SEC. 7. Section sixteen of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby repealed.

Section 8

SEC. 8. Section seventeen of Act Numbered Twenty-five hundred and ninety is hereby amended so as to read as follows:

"SEC. 17. Any person violating this Act or any order or regulation deriving force from its provisions shall be punished for each offense by a fine of not less than ten pesos nor more than two hundred pesos. In case of insolvency the corresponding subsidiary imprisonment shall be suffered, and, in case of subsequent offense, the court may impose, in addition to the fine, an imprisonment not exceeding thirty days. Fifty per centum of the collected fine shall be paid to the informer specified in the judgment of the court."

Section 9

SEC. 9. This Act shall take effect on its approval.

Approved, November 21, 1930.