1. A "fishing contest" means an event at which a prize or cash is given to a contestant for catching fish from waters open to the public. The term includes high-value tag contests, fishing tournaments, biggest fish contests, contests providing a prize for the largest number or weight of fish, and fishing leagues and tournaments comprised of multiple fishing events which have a cumulative fee of fifty dollars or more per event. The term does not include: a. A fishing event with fewer than fifty participants or fewer than fifteen boats for which an entry or participation fee of less than fifty dollars is charged. b. An individual big fish promotion for which an entry or participation fee is not charged. c. An organized youth fishing event if participants are under the age of nineteen or enrolled in a high school. d. An online contest not held on a single body of water. 2. A fishing contest may not include a conservation fee if the fishing contest is held by a nonprofit veterans organization, charitable organization, educational organization, religious organization, fraternal organization, civic and service organization, or public- spirited organization, as those organizations are defined in chapter 53 -06.1. A membership fee for a club or organization may not be classified as an entry fee or proceeds. 3. An organization desiring to hold a fishing contest shall submit an application to the director at least thirty days before the start of the contest. The application must list the recipient of the conservation fee and include a seventy-five dollar application fee. A conservation fee must be negotiated between the organization desiring to hold the fishing contest and a representative of the fishing league or fishing tournament. 4. The director may deny or revoke a permit if: a. The director believes the fishing contest does not or will not comply with the rules of the department or could be harmful to the fishing resource; b. An agency with jurisdiction deems the public use facilities such as a boat ramp, parking area, campground, or related facilities are inadequate to support the contest; or c. The committee or sponsors have failed to submit timely reports. 5. A permittee shall submit a report to the director within thirty days after completion of the fishing contest. The report must include the number of contest participants, the quantity and species of fish taken in the contest, and the total amount and recipient of the conservation fee. Failure to submit this report is justification for denial of future fishing contest permits. 6. The director may adopt rules to administer this section.
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