Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Stocking TIlapia in Michigan ponds?

The permit in hand quandry can be easily resolved. Although not in a quick manner. The pond owner has to:

1) Have a site visit by the company stocking the fish prior to ordering the fish for stocking.
2) Have a letter from the authorities in Mi stating that his pond is truly a private pond and does not require a stocking permit.
3) Have a stocking permit in hand prior to ordering the fish, AND e-mail a copy of the stocking permit to the company that is stocking the fish.

Yes, the fish sold in Michigan will cost more due to the time and expense involved by the stocking company to legally stock the fish in the pond. Personally? If the order is large enough, then the fish cost shouldn't be very much more than the fish cost for the fish sold in Indiana. I could see having a say $500 minimum order plus possibly some mileage fee or a minimum order plus Michigan only fish price list.

There are always ways to work around costs.

Like purchasing a silencer. There are companies that have done the legwork and you can buy a blank trust form to set up a trust. Once you do that, then you can buy a silencer from anyone, spend the #200 for the tax stamp, wait until the Feds give the OK then pick it up at your local Class 3 dealer.

I could set up a "here's what you have to do to stock fish in a Michigan pond" tutorial in the on-line store for purchase, and the pond owner can use that paperwork to send to the state, and get the approval or not. Then they can buy from whomever is licensed in the state of Michigan to sell fish.

The only sticky point is that they have to have fish health certs from the supplier, which the supplier may or may not give them without a paid order in hand.