Officials have put a plan in place if the Loch Ness Monster is ever caught.
The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) created the "partly serious, partly fun" code of practice in 2001 during a time of intense interest in Nessie.
And this year's attention to the creature has grown again with scientists recently gathering DNA from the loch, which has sparked an interest in the guidelines once again, reports Daily Mail.
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Scotland's first minister Nicola Sturgeon also said she believes that the monster exists in the water.
So if Nessie was discovered, SNH said it would "dust off" the plan.
The code of practice was created to offer protection to new species discovered in the loch, which also includes a monster.
It states that a DNA sample should be taken from any new creature, so that scientists can study it.
Then it should be released back into the loch with measures put in place to make sure it is not disturbed - as it would be an extremely rare species needing conservation.
Nick Halfhide, of SNH, the organisation that promotes Scottish wildlife and natural habitats, said the 17-year-old code of practice remained relevant today.
He said: "There was a lot of activity on the loch at the time about Nessie.
"So, partly serious and partly for a bit of fun, we drew up a contingency plan about how we would help Nessie if and when she was found.
"Some of the lessons we learned then have been relevant when we have reintroduced species like sea eagles, and were used when, a couple of years ago, four new species were found in the sea off the west coast."
However he added that if Nessie were to be discovered today the plan would need to be updated, while communities and businesses near the shores of Loch Ness would need to be consulted.
VisitScotland said the Nessie phenomenon is worth millions to the Scottish economy, with hundreds of thousands of visitors travelling to Loch Ness and Drumnadrochit every year to catch a glimpse of the mythical monster.
If Nessie were to be discovered, this would lead to a boom in tourism to the loch, which brings in around 400,000 visitors a year from around the world.
Last month, a global team of scientists, known as the Super Natural History team, will use environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling of the waters to identify tiny DNA remnants left behind by life in the Highlands loch.
The study was led by Professor Neil Gemmell of the University of Otago, New Zealand.
He said he would be surprised if there is any evidence of DNA sequences similar to those likely to come from a large extinct marine reptile, the so called "Jurassic hypothesis", but is open minded about what they might find.
Irish missionary St Columba is first said to have encountered a beast in the River Ness in 565AD.
Among the most famous claimed sightings is a photograph taken in 1934 by Colonel Robert Kenneth Wilson.
The image was later exposed as a hoax by one of the participants, Chris Spurling, who, on his deathbed, revealed that the pictures were staged.
Other sightings include James Gray's picture from 2001 when he was out fishing on the Loch, while namesake Hugh Gray's blurred photo of what appears to be a large sea creature was published in the Daily Express in 1933.
Many have tried to explain the sightings, including 'Nessie expert' Steve Feltham, who has spent 24 years watching the Loch. In 2015 he said he thought it was actually a giant Wels Catfish, native to waters near the Baltic and Caspian seas in Europe.
In April a scientist from New Zealand revealed plans to DNA test the waters of Loch Ness in another bid to determine if Nessie exists.
Professor Neil Gemmell from the University of Otago will look for traces of unusual DNA by gathering water samples from before analysing them using police forensic techniques.
According to Google, there are around 200,000 searches each month for the Loch Ness Monster, and around 120,000 for information and accommodation close to Loch Ness. The monster mystery is said to be worth £30million to the region.
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