§ 12.69 When may the Service sell forfeited or abandoned property?

(a) The Service may sell, or offer for sale, forfeited or abandoned fish, wildlife, or plants, except any species, which at the time of sale or offer for sale, is: (1) Listed in part 10 of this subchapter as a migratory bird protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.); (2) Protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (16 U.S.C. 668 et seq.); (3) Listed in Appendix I, or in Appendix II with an annotation (limiting commercial use of specimens of the species or where specimens of the species are treated as if listed in Appendix I), under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) (See § 23.91 of this chapter); (4) Listed in part 17 of this chapter as “endangered” or “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); (5) Protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et seq.); (6) Regulated as an injurious species under our injurious species regulations in part 16 of this chapter; (7) The African elephant (Loxodonta species); (8) Protected under the Wild Bird Conservation Act, (16 U.S.C. 4901 et seq.); or (9) Protected under the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.); (10) Protected under the Big Cat Public Safety Act (16 U.S.C. 3371(h), 3372(e), 117 Public Law 243, 136 Stat. 2336); or (11) Any fish, wildlife, or plant that is prohibited for export by the country of origin of the species. (b) If the Service chooses to dispose of fish, wildlife, or plants by sale, we must do so under current Federal property management regulations or Customs laws and regulations, except that the Service may sell any fish, wildlife, or plants immediately to the highest bidder above the set minimum bid, if the Service determines that the fish, wildlife, or plants are likely to perish, deteriorate, decay, waste, or greatly decrease in value by keeping, or that the expense of keeping the fish, wildlife, or plants is disproportionate to their value. (c) The Service may transport fish, wildlife, or plants that may not be possessed lawfully by purchasers under the laws of the State where the fish, wildlife, or plants are held to a State where possession of the fish, wildlife, or plants is lawful and the fish, wildlife, or plants may be sold. (d) Fish, wildlife, or plants purchased at sale are subject to the prohibitions, restrictions, conditions, or requirements that apply to a particular species of fish, wildlife or plant imposed by Federal, State, or Tribal or foreign law or regulation.