All birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, aquaculture animals and products, plants, or amphibians, or any part thereof, seized in accordance with Section 12159, the sale of which is not prohibited and which have a current market value of one hundred dollars ($100) or more, shall be packed, preserved, sold for bait, used for fish food in state-owned fish hatcheries, or otherwise put to economical use immediately upon seizure, at the prevailing market price for legal birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, aquaculture animals and products, plants, or amphibians in effect on the date of seizure. Any proceeds thereof shall be placed in the Fish and Game Preservation Fund. If the person from whom such birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, aquaculture animals and products, plants, or amphibians were seized is not convicted in a court of
competent jurisdiction for the offense out of which the seizure arose, then and in that event the proceeds shall be returned to that person.