Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain creek minows vs fish farm minows

I recently spoke with a USFWS agent that told me.... if they wanted to, they could demand certification of fish that are merely transported through a great lakes state, regardless of the fish origin because of the way the regs are written. He further said, some could interperet the regulations to extend to fish coming from Arkansas that pass through a GL state as "having come from" that great lake state.

FHM are not susceptible to VHS and therefore a health certificate for FHM is NOT required.

JKB, I agree with you, what I am saying is APHIS can and DOES require the certificates at will. I also did not mean to imply the health certification requirements are ONLY for VHSV---there are many pathogens for many fish species that Great Lakes States are required to test fish for that will be sold to other states for stocking....Many farms do not comply except for trout due to the excessive documentation and expense.

Tilapia are not carriers either, yet your fine state of Michigan requires health certificates. The tests must be done using USDA approved methods. Since no APPROVED test exists for fish not suceptible, thy cannot be certified, and importation requests are routinely denied....been there, done that.

My point was more the lunacy of the regulations with the way they are written.

I hear you on the lunacy, what is even more ludicrous is the way they are interpreted.

Here is an actual email I received from MI about HSB back in 2004.

Sorry for the belated response to your inquiry. It would be difficult to gain approval to keep hybrid striped bass since DNR is very concerned about the species being released (intentionally or non intentionally) in Michigan. There is an exception to the aquaculture law for non commercial use of fish in private waters. So, if you were going to have the fish for your own personal use as a hobby, this would be a possibility. There is also another exception for research, but the purpose of the research needs to be to evaluate the species for aquaculture in Michigan. Since DNR would be unlikely to support hybrid striped bass for aquaculture, this approach probably would not work.

Approvals for fish species not on the apprpoved list are done with iniput from both MDA and MDNR. Would you like me to purse the issue with DNR?

That one blew my mind. I wanted to try raise some in a small Recirculating System.

And even intentionally MIS-interpereted!

Thats another one

Wow, I am logged in on two computers now. I had to fire up the old girl to find to find an email.

See edit above!