(a) With the approval of the director, the chief shall designate and provide with official identification one or more employees assigned to the division as conservation officers who shall have direct responsibility for the enforcement of this chapter and of the regulations issued under this chapter. The director and the chief shall be conservation officers ex officio. (b) Conservation officers are deemed law enforcement officers and shall have the powers of law enforcement officers to carry arms and to make arrests, pursuant to law, for any violation of this chapter or of any regulation issued pursuant to this chapter. (c) In consideration of the privilege of fishing or hunting in the Commonwealth, regardless of whether a permit is required for that purpose, any person engaged in fishing or hunting, or having in his or her possession fish or game taken in the Commonwealth, shall, upon request and upon being shown proper identification, permit a conservation officer to inspect any fish or game taken by or under control of the person and any tackle, weapon, device, substance, bait, boat, blind, weir, net, trap, or other article used in such fishing or hunting. (d)(1) To the extent of available resources, the Director of Public Safety shall assist the conservation officers when necessary to the performance of their duties under this chapter. (2) The director may, by agreement, delegate concurrent jurisdiction for the enforcement of this chapter and the regulations issued pursuant to this chapter to the Director of Public Safety and any law enforcement officer of the Department of Public Safety, operating under such agreement, shall be deemed a conservation officer for purposes of this chapter.
Citation: 2 N. Mar. I. Code § 5103