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

EWEST,

Sorry didn't see your response...if you really want to know, I mean really, really, then re-read the quote posted by our "Friend" Brettski....but actually I advise against it.

I'm dying here.

ML, my friend. To know the blow was coming, to know it would be severe, to have no idea what form it would take, and still to throw yourself on a Brettski-ism to save your comrades - you are a brave man, Sir.

Brettski - Glad to see the famous "Atomic Wedgie" was included in your research! Now I'm gonna have to see what Wiki has to say about the dreaded "Rear Admiral".

...and to think, I almost finished the equation with a pic of a bruised banana.

Theo is relieved to know:
For ML's benefit, the Chicago version of the "Atomic Wedgie" allows total detachment of the elastic wasteband during the jerk and pull. As a youngster, I had an entire drawer of tidy-whities that required trousers for functional support.

Geez, has this thread been hijacked or what ??? Today's results are like a day fishing with wind from the East...nada. I need a job at TP&W, simply turn the recorder on, and leave the office on a field trip !

I come on here for a little info....and leave in tears! too darn funny!

Ross,

How do you think I feel about asking for clarification of.... :p

OK Guys, back to the topic at hand I spoke with TP&W, we can all still stock tilapia like we've done in the past ! Seems like I panicked I guess. The link banning Tilapia is related to Oriental Fish Markets in the Houston area, it's not related to stocking Mozambique Tilapia in stock ponds. I just told my LMB, HSB, Crappie, and CC, they immediately started placing orders for Spring...reminded me of the New York Stock Exchange Floor !

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


From FishBase -- Oreochromis mossambicus
Mozambique tilapia -- Cichlidae (Cichlids), subfamily: Pseudocrenilabrinae

Now you tell me how they will enforce this against fish marketer/growers and not the pond owner who has tilapia and predators but who might also sell a few to the fish market guy. I am not saying it is wrong to do so or can't be done, but would like to see how it is justified by TPW on biology grounds. If it is not based on biology then it is economic regulation and must be based on rational non-discriminatory grounds. For example can one person grow tilapia for sale as a food item from a aquaculture operation while the guy who raises them in his pond to sell them at his fish market can not ?

Thanks Eastland.

I was a little panicked myself. After all the great things I've read about them, I really want to put them in my pond. Now I just have to wait for the weather to warm up.

Eddie

ewest, I think you have it right in your own words. The edible fish for sale must pass the rules for an aquacenter/supplier and have a license. It's already illegal to sell farm raised CC without the license. It would be no harder to regulate another species in my small market. My conversation led me to believe it's the Hybrid and/or Orange Tilapia, bred for table fare, that's the target. Guess guys are setting up Tilapia "sweat shops" and making money illegally on the side. They need to word the species and end use of the product better. But, with that said, the TP&W is light years ahead of most States understanding the benefits of Tilapia as a tool for Pond Management.

Eastland you missed the poorly articulated point in my post. That species of tilapia - Oreochromis mossambicus - Mozambique tilapia should be removed from the list of excluded fish. Apparently its stocking is not prohibited nor a permit required for ponds. I agree TPW has a good policy of allowing Oreochromis mossambicus - Mozambique tilapia to be stocked in ponds. Now they need to fix the regulation to match the policy. Otherwise the regulation as written could be arbitrarily and unfairly used against some unsuspecting pond owner.