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I got this in a list serve recently. If I was a pond owner in California I would be making some public comments pronto. It won't just effect the fish farmers. Please read this if you're a pond owner in California!

BTW aren't government mandates the last thing a state needs that is broke?


One more example of NGO activist groups leading agencies to do something
unwarranted...I was going to say "stupid", but that doesn't sound
professional. ---Dr. Dave



Wednesday, December 02, 2009



Fish-Stocking Rules Affect Fish Farmers

US - Aquaculture producers say proposed state regulatory changes aimed
at minimising environmental impacts from fish stocking activities could
have paralysing effects on their businesses and the lakes and ponds
where they plant fish.

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), in a draft
environmental impact report released this fall, proposed new rules that
would impose higher-level inspections and certification requirements on
all aquaculture farms that stock fish in the state's public or private
waters.

Under the proposal, landowners who want to stock fish in their private
lakes and ponds must also obtain a permit that subjects their property
to inspections, such as for the presence of sensitive species, and a
health certificate from the farm conducting the stocking. Private
stocking permits are currently not required in 37 counties.

"The scope of these proposed changes in regulations is really huge,"
said Michael McCoy, executive director of the California Aquaculture
Association told /California Farm Bureau Federation <http://www.cfbf.com/>/.

In a letter reacting to the department's recommendations, the
association called language in the report "flawed, confusing and/or
ambiguous."

Mr McCoy said implementation of DFG draft regulations would not only
deliver an economic blow to the state's aquaculture producers but also
to their clients, which include owners of farm and ranch ponds, duck and
other outdoor sport club lakes, fee fishing lakes, as well as operators
of mosquito abatement programmes, public reservoirs and municipal lakes.

For fish farms, the new rules would mean yearly inspections to certify
that their stocks are free of disease and invasive species, a concept
that producers contend is "a hypothetical condition that does not exist."

"All living organisms carry some disease in their populations," Mr McCoy
said. "We think that the definitions make it really hard to imagine how
we can stock public waters."

The costs of conducting these analyses also are potentially large,
easily exceeding several thousand dollars annually for large facilities
that raise multiple species, he added. This financial burden would
cripple aquaculture businesses and destroy their profitability, he said.

Landowners who want to stock fish in their private lakes and ponds also
will incur additional expenses. With the proposed permitting
requirements, Mr McCoy said producers fear their clients would try to
avoid the regulatory burdens and costs and abandon their fish stocking
efforts or acquire fish from illegitimate sources. The latter could have
detrimental environmental effects, such as transfer of disease and
introduction of invasive species, problems DFG is trying to mitigate in
the first place, he added.

He said he thinks the new rules would be "really hard on both stockers
and the people who are trying to receive the fish."

Mr McCoy said many operators of private lakes and fishing programmes,
such as the Boy Scouts, have already cancelled orders and redirected
funds to other programmes since DFG placed a moratorium on new stocking
permits last December.

The state's hatchery and fish stocking programme came under attack in
2006, when two environmental groups sued DFG over potential effects of
its fish stocking activities on protected species such as the tiger
salamander, red-legged frog, yellow-legged frog and other wildlife
populations.

Although the state has been operating hatcheries for more than 100
years, DFG had not conducted an environmental review of the effects of
that programme. As a result of the court ruling, DFG was ordered to
complete the evaluation, a draft of which has been circulating for
comment since September.

It is unclear what the total economic impact of the new DFG rules would
be, said Tony Vaught, owner of Professional Aquaculture Services in
Chico, but he said he expects "all aquaculture in California will be
affected, some more so than others, especially small farms and ranches
that can't afford to go through all the steps that are required to get
the certifications."

Don Crain, a Tehama County aquaculture producer, said the proposed rules
would have far-reaching implications for fisheries such as his, which
sells fish as food and for recreational purposes. He said he's afraid
private operations would simply forgo his services if they need to be
permitted.

"We're going to be losing that avenue to stock your average farm pond,"
said Mr Crain, who currently stocks fish for the DFG stocking programme
as well as other private ponds in the Bay Area.

Mr Vaught said producers already operate under strict protocols to
prevent the spread of disease and invasive species and are troubled by
the extent of proposed regulation for private fish farms and their clients.

But Jim Starr, a fisheries biologist with DFG who is overseeing the
development of the environmental impact report, said private stocking
activities were included in the environmental assessment because the
department identified potential impacts associated with the 37 counties
that are currently exempt from needing private stocking permits.

"That is a major impact that we have no control over, yet it's something
that is within our grasp to control," he said. "We have no idea what
those impacts are. However, we do know that listed species or species of
special concern are present in those areas and they potentially could be
impacted by the stocking of fish."

He said the proposed changes would bring all areas of the state in line,
so that everybody who stocks fish needs to have a private stocking
permit, regardless of whether the private pond or lake spills into
public waters.

"Right now we have no idea what level of stocking goes on in the
counties of California where there's no private stocking permit
required," said Mr Starr. "And there's no way for us to find out."

Specifically, the department is "trying to get a handle on" the stocking
of other hatchery-raised fish such as trout, bass and catfish, Mr Starr
said. Applications for private stocking permits would be evaluated on a
case-by-case basis. For example, if stocking takes place in an urban
backyard pond, there's probably little to no impact on special-status
species vs. if the property is in red-legged frog habitat, he said.

But Mr Vaught said with the way the DFG environmental document is
written now, "there's no reason to think" that the proposed rules do not
apply "to every wet spot in California."

Mr McCoy said what his association would like to see happen is for DFG
to "clean up" some of its definitions in the environmental impact
report, specifically terms such as "disease and parasite free." Another
suggestion is for the state to regulate its own stocking recipients in
its own waters, rather than every private recipient in the state.

Mr Vaught said current regulations have worked fine for many years and
he doesn't see any reason to change the process.

"We don't mind some reasonable regulation," Mr McCoy said. "We just
don't see why we need these extra layers of regulations."

The department is now reviewing public comments on its draft report and
said it expects to have a finalised version in January. For more
information, see http://www.dfg.ca.gov <http://www.dfg.ca.gov>.

/TheFishSite News Desk/

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 12/03/09 10:14 AM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Great just what we wanted and needed, more regulations. I am so very happy now. I can't wait to have the state out to my property to inspect the property and to look for the presence of "sensitive species." I am really, really looking forward to the process. I think it will be a very informative and helpful process. I know that the state of California only has my best interest at heart and they are there to provide me aid and assistance. Perhaps the inspector and I will stand the middle of a flower filled meadow on our ranch and sing Kumbaya together as a sign of solidarity.


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thanks for the heads up cecil, i hadnt heard about it yet.

i have nothing profound to offer on this, so i wont say anything except:

1) i'm done stocking any additional farm raised fish, and

2) jhap, ya better jump on those sac perch while you still can w/out permitting.


GSF are people too!

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 Originally Posted By: jeffhasapond
Great just what we wanted and needed, more regulations. I am so very happy now. I can't wait to have the state out to my property to inspect the property and to look for the presence of "sensitive species." I am really, really looking forward to the process. I think it will be a very informative and helpful process. I know that the state of California only has my best interest at heart and they are there to provide me aid and assistance. Perhaps the inspector and I will stand the middle of a flower filled meadow on our ranch and sing Kumbaya together as a sign of solidarity.

Careful, JHAP, sarcasm is known to cause cancer in the state of California.


"Live like you'll die tomorrow, but manage your grass like you'll live forever."
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So where are they going to get the money to make all these inspections and add additional manpower? Oh wait I forgot - permit fees! Actually I seriously doubt even expensive permit fees would cover the cost. Just plain stupid for a state that is broke.

I wouldn't throw in the towel just yet guys. Send off an intelligent but to the point response and say Hell NO! Also contact your state reps and tell them how ludicrous this is.

As fish farmers we were up against something like this recently (The feds wanted to add additional burdens on fish farmers with many unrealistic and seriously expensive), and enough of us complained so it's been pretty much put on hold indefinitely. Don't underestimate the power of voters.

Last edited by Cecil Baird1; 12/04/09 09:58 PM.

If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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 Originally Posted By: Theo Gallus
Careful, JHAP, sarcasm is known to cause cancer in the state of California.


I only use 100% certified organically grown, carcinogen-free, free range, sarcasm.

(That's the only type of sarcasm that's allowed in California).

But I'll bet before long I'll have to apply for a permit to use any sarcasm.


JHAP
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 Originally Posted By: dave in el dorado ca
2) jhap, ya better jump on those sac perch while you still can w/out permitting.


I hear ya DIED. We'll talk more next week.


JHAP
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I thought Cal. was going broke were are they going to get the money for the inspectors (Weed Tax):)


Any type of fishing is good fishing!!

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I guess that extra 10% deduction from your pay will help, but the state says it's only a loan.



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This reaffirms my belief that a lot of problems could be fixed with a well aimed poke in the nose.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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... Dangit California, why do you do this to me.



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