Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Are Tilapia illegal in Texas?

I received this link on another website and didn't know the answer. I know lots of you put Tilapia in your ponds, so I'm sure it's legal, but I don't know how to figure this link out.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/exotic/

It's from the Texas Parks and Wildlife website and it says "The organisms listed on this page are legally classified as exotic, harmful, or potentially harmful. No person may import, possess, sell, or place them into water of this state except as authorized by rule or permit issued by the department."

Then in the list of fish not allowed is "Tilapia, Family Cichlidae
All species of genus Tilapia (including Sarotherodon and Oreochromis)"

Thank you,
Eddie

Eddie, looks like they stepped in it. There are tilapia in quite a few public lakes. I saw them at Lake Fairfield 25 to 30 years ago.

Every day I dislike politicians and public funded services more and more, I feel 90% of my tax dollars are wasted on unnecessary political correctness. If you want to build a pond, do you use our Gov't resources...NO, they think your land is their domain. It seems every Gov't funded individual feels the need to make some new profound law or to impact or justify their existence. Common sense has been thrown out the window. Take my tilapia...but if you do, you are wrong, and simply took away another piece of my freedom. I'm not a politician so I don't have to be politically correct either.

Also, this rant is somewhat tongue in cheek, there are other mouth breeding fish that spawn just as rapid, and I don't see them on the list !

I already have a call into Joedy Gray @ TP&W for clarification. Their site says Tilapia can be legally sold provided they come from a Texas Parks & Wildlife permitted aquaculture facility ??? What, they want more money...amazing.

The funny part is that they are being controlled for destroying weeds ! That's 1/2 the reason we stock them for !!! Why does the gov't want more weeds ????

I will update this thread after I talk to him. If you have questions, just let me know what you would like to ask

Hey, Eastland. Is this what's know as the gov't "Closing the barn door after the horses are out"? :rolleyes:

I think that what we all really need is more legislation to make the world right again. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Eastland,

Thanks for posting and I'm looking forward to reading what you find out.

Is this something new that was just put into law?

When I read it, I first thought it was only about public waters, not privately owned ponds, but I wasn't positive.

Thank you,
Eddie

Maybe Todd from Overton or Ken in Henderson will comment on this post. They should have the skinny and quite a bit of skin in the game.

Sorry Todd ...... how 'bout Todd Overton from Buffalo.

Bruce, the funny thing is that the bait shops down at Galveston now sell tilapia right next to flounder, shrimp, and other edible fish. The saltwater redfish & trout records will obviously fall due to tilapia as forage, and when there's a hard freeze that kills the predators (redfish & trout), the tilapia will have been toast days prior to the demise of the predators.

I sure would like to see someone post a counterpoint, it doesn't make sense to me.

I too look forward to hearing the skinny on this. I've had my share of ambiguity on the legality of fish. In my search to get answers on the sale of gamefish from private waters I have some states that are so arrogant they refuse to answer my questions in writing. Some don't even know their own laws themselves.

You know what the real kicker is? The biggest violator of the introduction of exotic fish and vegetation is the aquarium trade, but I'm not aware of any restrictions on them.

Cecil,

Here in Texas the aquarium trade is prohibited from selling Tilapia, or any other food fish.

In the interests of �fair and balanced�, I�d like to offer a slightly different view.

First to recap what has been written, we have Galveston and surrounding waters being overtaken by a fish which we all know has greatly overstated reproduction capabilities. We have area bayous void of vegetation and algae because of this same menace. We have the threat of a fish kill of epic proportions with unknown environmental impacts. Last, but certainly not least, we have Government agents coming to take our Tilapia away and save us from raising unhealthy, overweight, LMB which reportedly are getting too large for their farm ponds in some areas of East Texas.

For the past 45 years, I lived on one of those bayous and fished the waters around Galveston about twice a week. I think I can provide a little �on the scene info�. First, the trout fishing is strong, although the sizes aren�t what they used to be nor what we would like. The Redfish are the strongest they have ever been. The Tarpon fishing (remember a Tarpon prefers areas with freshwater run-off such as bayous) this summer was the best in the recent history. Tarpon alley, a stretch of water about 6 to 8 miles off the beach from north of Galveston to south of Freeport was the best it has ever been. I lived first hand through the huge fish kills of the 80�s from the cold winters back then. The media reports of a completely devastated fishery were greatly exaggerated. Yes, the fishing was more difficult for a couple of years, but it rebounded quickly. No one, at least nothing I saw, spoke of any long term adverse environmental impacts from the freezes�in fact some evidence is quite the contrary. The bayou I lived on until two months ago was matted with vegetation and algae. We may be seeing some slight overstatements here.

Government agents�.its funny but a local county tax agent came out to the Ranch yesterday to do his annual walk around for tax appraisals. He looked over at the old chicken shed, with its shiny new tin roof and new outside electrical pole and jokingly asked �what are you doing, putting a whiskey stile in that old chicken coop�? I mumbled something inaudible about chickens and hurricanes. I couldn�t possibly let him know that underneath that new tin roof and within those rusting tin walls, beat the heart of a system for producing Tilapia and, gasp, who knows what other evil fish. However, since everyone knows that Tilapia reproduction is greatly overstated, he probably would have been okay with it�but he most assuredly would have preferred the moonshine.

The predator fish on Meadowlark Ranch will finally get relief from their unhealthy, overweight conditions and mistreatment of being forced to outgrow their homes�10 pound LMB will be just a distant memory�when the Government agents take my Tilapia away.

Well, I played phone tag with Joedy @ TP&W today, but I did manage to get his office number and will call him tomorrow while I'm at work. I'll follow up here with an update.

Poking around further on the TP&W website I did find this encouraging excerpt : (g) A person may possess Mozambique tilapia in a private pond or private facility subject to compliance with �57.116(d) of this title (relating to Exotic Species Transport Invoice).

Pure, innocent Meadowlark startles me with:

OMG, NO! Has Dr Frankenbruce successfully recruited in Texas?
Are we to next expect pirates lounging in a hot tub, toasting with hot rum toddies and pulling speedo Melvins with a hook?

WITHIN THESE WALLS EVIL LURKS!

IT'S ALIVE!!!!

Brettski,

Yes, it is sad but true...Bruce and Theo have been a significant influence on my pond life and have inspired me to the ultimate redneck adventure....growing fish in a hot tub.

I was at the local spa place yesterday buying some extra filters and told them about what I was doing...after they picked themselves up off the floor from laughing, they kind of got interested and wanted to put some pictures in the local paper. I declined, fearing Government agents that might be out there reading the papers, searching for those evil Tilapia growers. You just never know.

By the way, at the certainty(not risk) of opening myself up for ridicule, what the heck is a speedo Melvins? And would it help me catch 10 pound LMB?

ML, I'd be afraid to try and hold a 10 lbs bass in speedos. ROFL

ROFLOL. You guys are crazy. After I stopped laughing so hard I could get up off the floor I got this pic so ML would know what he was getting into .

...a little locker-room help for my pure, innocent pal Meadowlark

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PLUS:
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PLUS (a frontal derivative of):
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please read the following excerpt from Wikipedia:
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...hope this helps

Oh my....when am I going to learn to keep my mouth shut...or rather fingers off the keyboard. Honestly, I didn't know, honestly....you gotta believe me, you just gotta believe me. I really, really am sorry I asked. I've had a sheltered life, obviously...but thank you Theo, Brettski, and EWEST for improving my education and expanding my horizons.

EWEST, tell me the truth now, did you really know or look it up? Am I the only one who didn't know? Man, I really have to get out more and away from ponds and cows....not.

ML, Ewest didnt know...he's too close to our vintage. It must be a 40 something's thing. I also didnt know that Fergie sang(or sung) for the Black Eyed Peas).

BTW: DIED looks good with a beard and eye patch, huh? He seems to be enjoying his wedgie.

ML :

I did know about Speedos but had to find a suitable pic. for you. I was not going to post the little bitty Speedos pic that Brettski did. That would be to painful to think about. I still don't know what "Melvins" is about.

BM,

I'm really glad to hear that you didn't know either.

I'm looking forward to EWEST's answer.

I have no comment to make on DIED's looks, the beard, the eye patch, and most of all the smile!

I know when I'm out of my element...sometimes.