esshup, thanks so much for your time effort and dogged determination!
So, do I have this correct? The take home message is that you need a bait dealer's license. Then you need to identify private ponds vs non-private ponds.
Private pond owners then by definition do not have state jurisdiction over what is in their pond except for the restricted fish on the restricted list.
If they purchase from you or another fish farm or hauler then it would help if you can show disease testing reports to protect you and the pondowner but is not something State can enforce. No permit is required by the pondowner.
Gary Whelan emailed me similar info, although at that time I wasn't asking as a fish hauler, but as a pond owner who felt that the rules should not apply to my non-public pond. He agreed, state could not require me to get a permit for stocking.
He was good with tilapia, he didn't care how I sourced it although common sense said that I should find a disease free and reputable source.
I don't understand why they feel tilapia will survive but I see the articles above and understand that some folks choose to find data that supports their pre-conceived notions.
So, now that we have that out of the way, the next project for me is to find a way to get some HSB in my pond as the apex predator. I know there has been interest from other MI pond owners in having HSB and I know there are some ponds that do have them (pond owners with private ponds who live closer to OH, IN have picked up their own)
I don't know how they will overwinter but lakes in SW MI have HSB in them that seem to overwinter fine.
The race is on for the MI fish hauling market!!
What other species might we be interested in? pellet trained SMB?
